Pef-ts expression units

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to the use of nucleic acid sequences for regulating the transcription and expression of genes, the novel promoters and expression units themselves, methods for altering or causing the transcription rate and/or expression rate of genes, expression cassettes comprising the expression units, genetically modified microorganisms with altered or caused transcription rate and/or expression rate, and methods for preparing biosynthetic products by cultivating the genetically modified microorganisms.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/050,146, filed Mar. 17, 2008, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/632,740, filed Jan. 18, 2007, which is a national stage application (under 35 U.S.C. §371) of PCT/EP2005/007752, filed Jul. 16, 2005, which claims benefit to German Application No. 10 2004 035 065.5, filed Jul. 20, 2004. The entire contents of each of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

SUBMISSION OF SEQUENCE LISTING

The Sequence Listing associated with this application is filed in electronic format via EFS-Web and hereby incorporated by reference into the specification in its entirety. The name of the text file containing the Sequence Listing is Sequence_Listing_(—)074008_(—)0673_(—)01. The size of the text file is 37 KB, and the text file was created on May 7, 2014.

The present invention relates to the use of nucleic acid sequences for regulating the transcription and expression of genes, the novel promoters and expression units themselves, methods for altering or causing the transcription rate and/or expression rate of genes, expression cassettes comprising the expression units, genetically modified microorganisms with altered or caused transcription rate and/or expression rate, and methods for preparing biosynthetic products by cultivating the genetically modified microorganisms.

Various biosynthetic products such as, for example, fine chemicals, such as, inter alia, amino acids, vitamins, but also proteins, are produced in cells by natural metabolic processes and are used in many branches of industry, including the foodstuffs, feedstuffs, cosmetics, feed, food and pharmaceutical industries. These substances, which are referred to collectively as fine chemicals/proteins, comprise inter alia organic acids, both proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids, nucleotides and nucleosides, lipids and fatty acids, diols, carbohydrates, aromatic compounds, vitamins and cofactors, and proteins and enzymes. Their production takes place most expediently on the industrial scale by culturing bacteria which have been developed in order to produce and secrete large quantities of the particular desired substance. Organisms particularly suitable for this purpose are coryneform bacteria, Gram-positive non-pathogenic bacteria.

It is known that amino acids are prepared by fermentation of strains of coryneform bacteria, especially Corynebacterium glutamicum. Because of the great importance, continuous work is done on improving the production processes. Process improvements may relate to fermentation technique measures such as, for example, stirring and oxygen supply, or the composition of the nutrient media, such as, for example, the sugar concentration during the fermentation, or the working up to give the product, for example by ion exchange chromatography or else spray drying, or the intrinsic performance properties of the microorganism itself.

Methods of recombinant DNA technology have likewise been employed for some years for strain improvement of Corynebacterium strains producing fine chemicals/proteins, by amplifying individual genes and investigating the effect on the production of fine chemicals/proteins.

Other ways for developing a process for producing fine chemicals, amino acids or proteins, or for increasing or improving the productivity of a pre-existing process for producing fine chemicals, amino acids or proteins, are to increase or to alter the expression of one or more genes, and/or to influence the translation of an mRNA by suitable polynucleotide sequences. In this connection, influencing may include increasing, reducing, or else other parameters of the expression of genes, such as chronological expression patterns.

Various constituents of bacterial regulatory sequences are known to the skilled worker. A distinction is made between the binding sites for regulators, also called operators, the binding sites for RNA polymerase holoenzymes, also called −35 and −10 regions, and the binding site for ribosomal 16S RNA, also called ribosome binding site or else Shine-Dalgarno sequence.

The sequence of a ribosome binding site, also called Shine-Dalgarno sequence, means for the purposes of this invention polynucleotide sequences which are located up to 20 bases upstream of the translation initiation codon.

In the literature (E. coli and S. typhimurium, Neidhardt F. C. 1995 ASM Press) it is reported that both the composition of the polynucleotide sequence of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence, the sequence string of the bases, but also the distance of a polynucleotide sequence comprised in the Shine-Dalgarno sequence from has a considerable influence on the translation initiation rate.

Nucleic add sequences having promoter activity can influence the formation of mRNA in various ways. Promoters whose activities are independent of the physiological growth phase of the organism are called constitutive. Other promoters in turn respond to external chemical, such as physical stimuli such as oxygen, metabolites, heat, pH, etc. Others in turn show a strong dependence of their activity in different growth phases. For example, promoters showing a particularly pronounced activity during the exponential growth phase of microorganisms, or else precisely in the stationary phase of microbial growth, are described in the literature. Both characteristics of promoters may have a beneficial effect on productivity for a production of fine chemicals and proteins, depending on the metabolic pathway.

For example, promoters which switch off the expression of a gene during growth, but switch it on after an optimal growth, can be used to regulate a gene which controls the production of a metabolite. The modified strain then displays the same growth parameters as the starting strain but produces more product per cell. This type of modification may increase both the titer (g of product/liter) and the C yield (g of product/g of C source).

It has already been possible to isolate in Corynebacterium species those nucleotide sequences which can be used to increase or diminish gene expression. These regulated promoters may increase or reduce the rate at which a gene is transcribed, depending on the internal and/or external conditions of the cell. In some cases, the presence of a particular factor, known as inducer, can stimulate the rate of transcription from the promoter. Inducers may influence transcription from the promoter either directly or indirectly. Another class of factors, known as suppressors, is able to reduce or else inhibit the transcription from the promoter. Like the inducers, the suppressors can also act directly or indirectly. However, temperature-regulated promoters are also known. Thus, the level of transcription of such promoters can be increased or else diminished for example by increasing the growth temperature above the normal growth temperature of the cell.

A small number of promoters from C. glutamicum have been described to date. The promoter of the malate synthase gene from C. glutamicum was described in DE 4440118. This promoter was inserted upstream of a structural gene coding for a protein. After transformation of such a construct into a coryneform bacterium there is regulation of the expression of the structural gene downstream of the promoter. Expression of the structural gene is induced as soon as an appropriate inducer is added to the medium.

Reinscheid et al., Microbiology 145:503 (1999) described a transcriptional fusion between the pta-ack promoter from C. glutamicum and a reporter gene (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase). Cells of C. glutamicum comprising such a transcriptional fusion exhibited increased expression of the reporter gene on growth on acetate-containing medium. By comparison with this, transformed cells which grew on glucose showed no increased expression of this reporter gene.

Pa'tek et al., Microbiology 142:1297 (1996) describe some DNA sequences from C. glutamicum which are able to enhance the expression of a reporter gene in C. glutamicum cells. These sequences were compared together in order to define consensus sequences for C. glutamicum promoters.

Further DNA sequences from C. glutamicum which can be used to regulate gene expression have been described in the patent WO 02/40679. These isolated polynucleotides represent expression units from Corynebacterium glutamicum which can be used either to increase or else to reduce gene expression. This patent additionally describes recombinant plasmids on which the expression units from Corynebacterium glutamicum are associated with heterologous genes. The method described herein, of fusing a promoter from Corynebacterium glutamicum with a heterologous gene, can be employed inter alia for regulating the genes of amino acid biosynthesis.

It was an object of the present invention to provide further promoters and/or expression units with advantageous properties.

Accordingly, we have found that nucleic acids having promoter activity, comprising

-   -   A) the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1 or     -   B) a sequence derived from this sequence by substitution,         insertion or deletion of nucleotides and having an identity of         at least 90% at the nucleic acid level with the sequence SEQ.         ID. NO. 1,         -   or     -   C) a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes with the nucleic         acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1 under stringent conditions, or     -   D) functionally equivalent fragments of the sequences of A), B)         or C)         can be used for the transcription of genes.

“Transcription” means according to the invention the process by which a complementary RNA molecule is produced starting from a DNA template. Proteins such as RNA polymerase, so-called sigma factors and transcriptional regulator proteins are involved in this process. The synthesized RNA is then used as template in the translation process, which then leads to the biosynthetically active protein.

The formation rate with which a biosynthetically active protein is produced is a product of the rate of transcription and of translation. Both rates can be influenced according to the invention, and thus influence the rate of formation of products in a microorganism.

A “promoter” or a “nucleic acid having promoter activity” means according to the invention a nucleic acid which, in a functional linkage to a nucleic acid to be transcribed, regulates the transcription of this nucleic acid.

A “functional linkage” means in this connection for example the sequential arrangement of one of the nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity and a nucleic acid sequence to be transcribed and, if appropriate, further regulatory elements such as, for example, nucleic acid sequences which ensure the transcription of nucleic acids, and for example a terminator, in such a way that each of the regulatory elements is able to fulfill its function in the transcription of the nucleic acid sequence. A direct linkage in the chemical sense is not absolutely necessary therefor. Genetic control sequences, such as, for example, enhancer sequences, are able to exercise their function on the target sequence even from more remote positions or even from other DNA molecules. Arrangements in which the nucleic acid sequence to be transcribed is positioned behind (i.e. at the 3′ end) of the promoter sequence of the invention, so that the two sequences are covalently connected together, are preferred. In this connection, the distance between the promoter sequence and the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed transgenically is preferably fewer than 200 base pairs, particularly preferably fewer than 100 base pairs, very particularly preferably fewer than 50 base pairs.

“Promoter activity” means according to the invention the quantity of RNA formed by the promoter in a particular time, that is to say the transcription rate.

“Specific promoter activity” means according to the invention the quantity of RNA formed by the promoter in a particular time for each promoter.

The term “wild type” means according to the invention the appropriate starting microorganism.

Depending on the context, the term “microorganism” means the starting microorganism (wild type) or a genetically modified microorganism of the invention, or both.

Preferably, and especially in cases where the microorganism or the wild type cannot be unambiguously assigned, “wild type” means for the alteration or causing of the promoter activity or transcription rate, for the alteration or causing of the expression activity or expression rate and for increasing the content of biosynthetic products in each case a reference organism.

In a preferred embodiment, this reference organism is Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032.

In a preferred embodiment, the starting microorganisms used are already able to produce the desired fine chemical. Particular preference is given in this connection among the particularly preferred microorganisms of bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium and the particularly preferred fine chemicals L-lysine, L-methionine and L-threonine to those starting microorganisms already able to produce L-lysine, L-methionine and/or L-threonine. These are particularly preferably corynebacteria in which, for example, the gene coding for an aspartokinase (ask gene) is deregulated or the feedback inhibition is abolished or reduced. Such bacteria have, for example, a mutation leading to a reduction or abolition of the feedback inhibition, such as, for example, the mutation T311I, in the ask gene.

In the case of a “caused promoter activity” or transcription rate in relation to a gene compared with the wild type, therefore, compared with the wild type the formation of an RNA which was not present in this way in the wild type is caused.

In the case of an altered promoter activity or transcription rate in relation to a gene compared with the wild type, therefore, compared with the wild type the quantity of RNA produced in a particular time is altered.

“Altered” means in this connection preferably increased or reduced.

This can take place for example by increasing or reducing the specific promoter activity of the endogenous promoter of the invention, for example by mutating the promoter or by stimulating or inhibiting the promoter.

A further possibility is to achieve the increased promoter activity or transcription rate for example by regulating the transcription of genes in the microorganism by nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity or by nucleic acids with increased specific promoter activity, where the genes are heterologous in relation to the nucleic acids having promoter activity.

The regulation of the transcription of genes in the microorganism by nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity or by nucleic acids with increased specific promoter activity is preferably achieved by

introducing one or more nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, or introducing one or more genes into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, or introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be transcribed, into the microorganism.

The nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity comprise

-   -   A) the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1 or     -   B) a sequence derived from this sequence by substitution,         insertion or deletion of nucleotides and having an identity of         at least 90% at the nucleic acid level with the sequence SEQ.         ID. NO. 1,         -   or     -   C) a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes with the nucleic         acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1 under stringent conditions, or     -   D) functionally equivalent fragments of the sequences of A), B)         or C).

The nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1 represents the promoter sequence of the elongation factor TS (P_(EF-TS)) from Corynebacterium glutamicum. SEQ. ID. NO. 1 corresponds to the promoter sequence of the wild type.

The invention additionally relates to nucleic acids having promoter activity comprising a sequence derived from this sequence by substitution, insertion or deletion of nucleotides and having an identity of at least 90% at the nucleic acid level with the sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1.

Further natural examples of the invention for promoters of the invention can easily be found for example from various organisms whose genomic sequence is known, by identity comparisons of the nucleic acid sequences from databases with the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 described above.

Artificial promoter sequences of the invention can easily be found starting from the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 by artificial variation and mutation, for example by substitution, insertion or deletion of nucleotides.

The term “substitution” means in the description the replacement of one or more nucleotides by one or more nucleotides. “Deletion” is the replacement of a nucleotide by a direct linkage. Insertions are insertions of nucleotides into the nucleic acid sequence, with formal replacement of a direct linkage by one or more nucleotides.

Identity between two nucleic acids means the identity of the nucleotides over the complete length of the nucleic acid in each case, in particular the identity calculated by comparison with the aid of the vector NTI Suite 7.1 software from Informax (USA) using the Clustal method (Higgins D G, Sharp P M. Fast and sensitive multiple sequence alignments on a microcomputer. Comput Appl. Biosci. 1989 April; 5(2):151-1), setting the following parameters:

Multiple Alignment Parameter:

Gap opening penalty 10 Gap extension penalty 10 Gap separation penalty range  8 Gap separation penalty off % identity for alignment delay 40 Residue specific gaps off Hydrophilic residue gap off Transition weighing  0

Pairwise Alignment Parameter:

FAST algorithm on K-tuplesize 1 Gap penalty 3 Window size 5 Number of best diagonals 5

A nucleic acid sequence having an identity of at least 90% with the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 accordingly means a nucleic acid sequence which, on comparison of its sequence with the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1, in particular in accordance with the above programming algorithm with the above parameter set, shows an identity of at least 90%.

Particularly preferred promoters show an identity of 91%, more preferably 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, particularly preferably 99%, with the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1.

Further natural examples of promoters can moreover easily be found starting from the nucleic acid sequences described above, in particular starting from the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 from various organisms whose genomic sequence is unknown, by hybridization techniques in a manner known per se.

A further aspect of the invention therefore relates to nucleic acids having promoter activity comprising a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes with the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. No. 1 under stringent conditions. This nucleic acid sequence comprises at least 10, more preferably more than 12, 15, 30, 50 or particularly preferably more than 150, nucleotides.

The hybridization takes place according to the invention under stringent conditions. Such hybridization conditions are described for example in Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F., Maniatis, T., in: Molecular Cloning (A Laboratory Manual), 2nd edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989, pages 9.31-9.57 or in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. (1989), 6.3.1-6.3.6:

Stringent hybridization conditions mean in particular:

incubation at 42° C. overnight in a solution consisting of 50% formamide, 5×SSC (750 mM NaCl, 75 mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6), 5×Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate and 20 g/ml denatured, sheared salmon sperm DNA, followed by washing the filters with 0.1×SSC at 65° C.

A “functionally equivalent fragment” means for nucleic acid sequences having promoter activity fragments which have substantially the same or a higher specific promoter activity than the starting sequence.

“Essentially identical” means a specific promoter activity which displays at least 50%, preferably 60%, more preferably 70%, more preferably 80%, more preferably 90%, particularly preferably 95% of the specific promoter activity of the starting sequence.

“Fragments” mean partial sequences of the nucleic acids having promoter activity which are described by embodiment A), B) or C). These fragments preferably have more than 10, but more preferably more than 12, 15, 30, 50 or particularly preferably more than 150, connected nucleotides of the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1.

It is particularly preferred to use the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1 as promoter, i.e. for transcription of genes.

SEQ. ID. NO. 1 has been described without assignment of function in the Genbank entry AP005283. The invention therefore further relates to the novel nucleic acid sequences of the invention having promoter activity.

The invention relates in particular to a nucleic acid having promoter activity, comprising

-   -   A) the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1 or     -   B) a sequence derived from this sequence by substitution,         insertion or deletion of nucleotides and having an identity of         at least 90% at the nucleic acid level with the sequence SEQ.         ID. NO. 1,         -   or     -   C) a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes with the nucleic         acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1 under stringent conditions, or     -   D) functionally equivalent fragments of the sequences of A), B)         or C),         with the proviso that the nucleic acid having the sequence SEQ.         ID. NO. 1 is excluded.

All the nucleic acids having promoter activity which are mentioned above can additionally be prepared in a manner known per se by chemical synthesis from the nucleotide building blocks such as, for example, by fragment condensation of individual overlapping complementary nucleic acid building blocks of the double helix. The chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides can take place for example in known manner by the phosphoramidite method (Voet, Voet, 2nd edition, Wiley Press New York, pp. 896-897). Addition of synthetic oligonucleotides and filling in of gaps using the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase and ligation reactions, and general cloning methods, are described in Sambrook et al. (1989), Molecular cloning: A laboratory manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

The invention further relates to the use of an expression unit comprising one of the nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity and additionally functionally linked a nucleic acid sequence which ensures the translation of ribonucleic acids for the expression of genes.

An expression unit means according to the invention a nucleic acid having expression activity, i.e a nucleic acid which, in functional linkage to a nucleic acid to be expressed, or gene, regulates the expression, i.e. the transcription and the translation of this nucleic acid or of this gene.

A “functional linkage” means in this connection for example the sequential arrangement of one of the expression units of the invention and of a nucleic acid sequence which is to be expressed transgenically and, if appropriate, further regulatory elements such as, for example, a terminator in such a way that each of the regulatory elements can fulfill its function in the transgenic expression of the nucleic acid sequence. A direct linkage in the chemical sense is not absolutely necessary for this. Genetic control sequences, such as, for example, enhancer sequences, can exercise their function on the target sequence also from more remote positions or even from different DNA molecules. Arrangements in which the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed transgenically is positioned behind (i.e. at the 3′ end) the expression unit sequence of the invention, so that the two sequences are covalently connected together, are preferred. It is preferred in this case for the distance between the expression unit sequence and the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed transgenically to be fewer than 200 base pairs, particularly preferably fewer than 100 base pairs, very particularly preferably fewer than 50 base pairs.

“Expression activity” means according to the invention the quantity of protein produced in a particular time by the expression unit, i.e. the expression rate.

“Specific expression activity” means according to the invention the quantity of protein produced by the expression unit in a particular time for each expression unit.

In the case of a “caused expression activity” or expression rate in relation to a gene compared with the wild type, therefore, compared with the wild type the production of a protein which was not present in this way in the wild type is caused.

In the case of an “altered expression activity” or expression rate in relation to a gene compared with the wild type, therefore, compared with the wild type the quantity of protein produced in a particular time is altered.

“Altered” preferably means in this connection increased or decreased.

This can take place for example by increasing or reducing the specific activity of the endogenous expression unit, for example by mutating the expression unit or by stimulating or inhibiting the expression unit.

The increased expression activity or expression rate can moreover be achieved for example by regulating the expression of genes in the microorganism by expression units of the invention or by expression units with increased specific expression activity, where the genes are heterologous in relation to the expression units.

The regulation of the expression of genes in the microorganism by expression units of the invention or by expression units of the invention with increased specific expression activity is preferably achieved by

introducing one or more expression units of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced expression units of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, or introducing one or more genes into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous expression units of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, or introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising an expression unit of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

The expression units of the invention comprise a nucleic acid of the invention, described above, having promoter activity and additionally functionally linked a nucleic acid sequence which ensures the translation of ribonucleic acids.

This nucleic acid sequence which ensures the translation of ribonucleic acids preferably comprises the nucleic add sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 42 as ribosome binding site.

In a preferred embodiment, the expression unit of the invention comprises:

-   -   E) the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 2 or     -   F) a sequence derived from this sequence by substitution,         insertion or deletion of nucleotides and having an identity of         at least 90% at the nucleic acid level with the sequence SEQ.         ID. NO. 2, or     -   G) a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes with the nucleic         acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 2 under stringent conditions, or     -   H) functionally equivalent fragments of the sequences of E), F)         or G).

The nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 2 represents the nucleic acid sequence of the expression unit of the elongation factor TS (P) from Corynebacterium glutamicum. SEQ. ID. NO. 2 corresponds to the sequence of the expression unit of the wild type.

The invention further relates to expression units comprising a sequence which is derived from this sequence by substitution, insertion or deletion of nucleotides and which have an identity of at least 90% at the nucleic acid level with the sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 2.

Further natural examples of the invention for expression units of the invention can easily be found for example from various organisms whose genomic sequence is known, by identity comparisons of the nucleic acid sequences from databases with the sequence SEQ ID NO: 2 described above.

Artificial sequences of the invention of the expression units can easily be found starting from the sequence SEQ ID NO: 2 by artificial variation and mutation, for example by substitution, insertion or deletion of nucleotides.

A nucleic acid sequence having an identity of at least 90% with the sequence SEQ ID NO: 2 accordingly means a nucleic acid sequence which, on comparison of its sequence with the sequence SEQ ID NO: 2, in particular in accordance with the above programming algorithm with the above parameter set, shows an identity of at least 90%.

Particularly preferred expression units show an identity of 91%, more preferably 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, particularly preferably 99%, with the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 2.

Further natural examples of expression units can moreover easily be found starting from the nucleic acid sequences described above, in particular starting from the sequence SEQ ID NO: 2 from various organisms whose genomic sequence is unknown, by hybridization techniques in a manner known per se.

A further aspect of the invention therefore relates to expression units comprising a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes with the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. No. 2 under stringent conditions. This nucleic acid sequence comprises at least 10, more preferably more than 12, 15, 30, 50 or particularly preferably more than 150, nucleotides.

“Hybridization” means the ability of a poly- or oligonucleotide to bind under stringent conditions to a virtually complementary sequence, while nonspecific bindings between non-complementary partners do not occur under these conditions. For this, the sequences ought preferably to be 90-100% complementary. The property of complementary sequences being able to bind specifically to one another is made use of for example in the Northern or Southern blotting technique or in primer binding in PCR or RT-PCR.

The hybridization takes place according to the invention under stringent conditions. Such hybridization conditions are described for example in Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F., Maniatis, T., in: Molecular Cloning (A Laboratory Manual), 2nd edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989, pages 9.31-9.57 or in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. (1989), 6.3.1-6.3.6:

Stringent hybridization conditions mean in particular:

incubation at 42° C. overnight in a solution consisting of 50% formamide, 5×SSC (750 mM NaCl, 75 mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6), 5×Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate and 20 g/ml denatured, sheared salmon sperm DNA, followed by washing the filters with 0.1×SSC at 65° C.

The nucleotide sequences of the invention further make it possible to produce probes and primers which can be used for identifying and/or cloning homologous sequences in other cell types and microorganisms. Such probes and primers normally comprise a nucleotide sequence region which hybridizes under stringent conditions onto at least approximately 12, preferably at least approximately 25, such as, for example, approximately 40, 50 or 75 consecutive nucleotides of a sense strand of a nucleic acid sequence of the invention or of a corresponding antisense strand.

Also comprised according to the invention are nucleic acid sequences which comprise so-called silent mutations or are modified in accordance with the codon usage of a specific original or host organism compared with a specifically mentioned sequence, as well as naturally occurring variants such as, for example, splice variants or allelic variants, thereof.

A “functionally equivalent fragment” means for expression units fragments which have substantially the same or a higher specific expression activity than the starting sequence.

“Essentially identical” means a specific expression activity which displays at least 50%, preferably 60%, more preferably 70%, more preferably 80%, more preferably 90%, particularly preferably 95% of the specific expression activity of the starting sequence.

“Fragments” mean partial sequences of the expression units which are described by embodiment E), F) or G). These fragments preferably have more than 10, but more preferably more than 12, 15, 30, 50 or particularly preferably more than 150, connected nucleotides of the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 1.

It is particularly preferred to use the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 2 as expression unit, i.e. for expression of genes.

The invention further relates to the novel expression units of the invention.

The invention relates in particular to an expression unit comprising a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity and additionally functionally linked a nucleic acid sequence which ensures the translation of ribonucleic adds.

The invention particularly preferably relates to an expression unit comprising

-   -   E) the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 2 or     -   F) a sequence derived from this sequence by substitution,         insertion or deletion of nucleotides and having an identity of         at least 90% at the nucleic acid level with the sequence SEQ.         ID. NO. 2, or     -   G) a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes with the nucleic         acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 2 under stringent conditions, or     -   H) functionally equivalent fragments of the sequences of E), F)         or G),         with the proviso that the nucleic acid having the sequence SEQ.         ID. NO. 2 is excluded.

The expression units of the invention comprise one or more of the following genetic elements: a minus 10 (“−10”) sequence; a minus 35 (“−35”) sequence; a transcription sequence start, an enhancer region; and an operator region.

These genetic elements are preferably specific for species of corynebacteria, especially for Corynebacterium glutamicum.

All the expression units which are mentioned above can additionally be prepared in a manner known per se by chemical synthesis from the nucleotide building blocks such as, for example, by fragment condensation of individual overlapping complementary nucleic acid building blocks of the double helix. The chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides can take place for example in known manner by the phosphoramidite method (Voet, Voet, 2nd edition, Wiley Press New York, pp. 896-897). Addition of synthetic oligonucleotides and filling in of gaps using the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase and ligation reactions, and general cloning methods, are described in Sambrook et al. (1989), Molecular cloning: A laboratory manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

The methods and techniques used for the inventions in this patent are known to the skilled worker trained in microbiological and recombinant DNA techniques. Methods and techniques for growing bacterial cells, inserting isolated DNA molecules into the host cell, and isolating, cloning and sequencing isolated nucleic acid molecules etc. are examples of such techniques and methods. These methods are described in many standard literature sources: Davis et al., Basic Methods In Molecular Biology (1986); J. H. Miller, Experiments in Molecular Genetics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1972); J. H. Miller, A Short Course in Bacterial Genetics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1992); M. Singer and P. Berg, Genes & Genomes, University Science Books, Mill Valley, Calif. (1991); J. Sambrook, E. F. Fritsch and T. Maniatis, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989); P. B. Kaufmann et al., Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. (1995); Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, B. R. Glick and J. E. Thompson, eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. (1993); and P. F. Smith-Keary, Molecular Genetics of Escherichia coli, The Guilford Press, New York, N.Y. (1989).

All nucleic acid molecules of the present invention are preferably in the form of an isolated nucleic acid molecule. An “isolated” nucleic acid molecule is separated from other nucleic acid molecules which are present in the natural source of the nucleic acid, and may additionally be substantially free of other cellular material or culture medium if it is prepared by recombinant techniques, or free of chemical precursors or other chemicals if it is chemically synthesized.

The invention additionally includes the nucleic acid molecules complementary to the specifically described nucleotide sequences, or a section thereof.

The promoters and/or expression units of the invention can for example be used particularly advantageously in improved methods for the preparation of biosynthetic products by fermentation as described hereinafter.

The promoters and/or expression units of the invention have in particular the advantage that they are induced in microorganisms by stress. It is possible by suitable control of the fermentation process to control this stress induction specifically for an increase in the transcription/expression rate of desired genes. In the production of L-lysine in particular, this stress phase is reached very early, so that in this case an increased transcription/expression rate of desired genes can be achieved very early.

The nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity can be used to alter, i.e. to increase or reduce, or to cause the transcription rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type.

The expression units of the invention can be used to alter, i.e. to increase or reduce, or to cause the expression rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type.

The nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity and the expression units of the invention can also serve to regulate and enhance the production of various biosynthetic products such as, for example, fine chemicals, proteins, in particular amino acids, in microorganisms, in particular in Corynebacterium species.

The invention therefore relates to a method for altering or causing the transcription rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type by

-   -   a) altering the specific promoter activity in the microorganism         of endogenous nucleic acids of the invention having promoter         activity, which regulate the transcription of endogenous genes,         compared with the wild type or     -   b) regulating transcription of genes in the microorganism by         nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity or by         nucleic acids with altered specific promoter activity according         to embodiment a), where the genes are heterologous in relation         to the nucleic acids having promoter activity.

According to embodiment a), the alteration or causing of the transcription rate of genes in the microorganism compared with the wild type can take place by altering, i.e. increasing or reducing, the specific promoter activity in the microorganism. This can take place for example by targeted mutation of the nucleic acid sequence of the invention having promoter activity, i.e. by targeted substitution, deletion or insertion of nucleotides. An increased or reduced promoter activity can be achieved by replacing nucleotides in the RNA polymerase holoenzyme binding sites (known to the skilled worker also as −10 region and −35 region). Additionally by reducing or enlarging the distance of the described RNA polymerase holoenzyme binding sites from one another by deleting nucleotides or inserting nucleotides. Additionally by placing binding sites (also known to the skilled worker as -operators) for regulatory proteins (known to the skilled worker as repressors and activators) in the spatial vicinity of the binding sites of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme so that, after binding to a promoter sequence, these regulators diminish or enhance the binding and transcription activity of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme, or else place it under a new regulatory influence.

The nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 21 preferably represents the ribosome binding site of the expression units of the invention, and the sequences SEQ. ID. NO. 19 or 20 represent the −10 region of the expression units of the invention. Alterations in the nucleic acid sequence in these regions lead to an alteration in the specific expression activity.

The invention therefore relates to the use of the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 21 as ribosome binding site in expression units which enable genes to be expressed in bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium.

The invention further relates to the use of the nucleic acid sequences SEQ. ID. NO. 19 or 20 as −10 region in expression units which enable genes to be expressed in bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium.

The invention relates in particular to an expression unit which enables genes to be expressed in bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium, comprising the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 21. In this case, the nucleic acid sequence SEQ. ID. NO. 21 is preferably used as ribosome binding site.

The invention further relates to an expression unit which enables genes to be expressed in bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium, comprising at least one of the nucleic acid sequences SEQ. ID. NO. 19 or 20. In this case, one of the nucleic acid sequences SEQ. ID. NO. 19 or 20 is preferably used as −10 region.

In relation to the “specific promoter activity”, an increase or reduction compared with the wild type means an increase or reduction in the specific activity compared with the nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity of the wild type, i.e. for example compared with SEQ. ID. NO. 1.

According to embodiment b), the alteration or causing of the transcription rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type can take place by regulating the transcription of genes in the microorganism by nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity or by nucleic acids with altered specific promoter activity according to embodiment a), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the nucleic acids having promoter activity.

This is preferably achieved by

-   -   b1) introducing one or more nucleic acids of the invention         having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific         promoter activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that         transcription of one or more endogenous genes takes place under         the control of the introduced nucleic acid having promoter         activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter         activity, or     -   b2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the         microorganism so that transcription of one or more of the         introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous         nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, if         appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, or     -   b3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising a         nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity, if         appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, and         functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be transcribed,         into the microorganism.

It is thus possible to alter, i.e. to increase or to reduce, the transcription rate of an endogenous gene of the wild type by

according to embodiment b1), introducing one or more nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced nucleic acid having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, or according to embodiment b2), introducing one or more endogenous genes into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more of the introduced endogenous genes takes place under the control of the endogenous nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, or according to embodiment b3), introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, and functionally linked one or more endogenous nucleic acids to be transcribed, into the microorganism.

It is thus further possible to cause the transcription rate of an exogenous gene compared with the wild type by

according to embodiment b2), introducing one or more exogenous genes into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more of the introduced exogenous genes takes place under the control of the endogenous nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, or according to embodiment b3), introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, and functionally linked one or more exogenous nucleic acids to be transcribed, into the microorganism.

The insertion of genes according to embodiment b2) can moreover take place by integrating a gene into coding regions or noncoding regions. Insertion preferably takes place into noncoding regions.

Insertion of nucleic acid constructs according to embodiment b3) may moreover take place chromosomally or extrachromosomally. There is preferably chromosomal insertion of the nucleic acid constructs. A “chromosomal” integration is the insertion of an exogenous DNA fragment into the chromosome of a host cell. This term is also used for homologous recombination between an exogenous DNA fragment and the appropriate region on the chromosome of the host cell.

In embodiment b) there is preferably also use of nucleic adds of the invention with altered specific promoter activity in accordance with embodiment a). In embodiment b), as described in embodiment a), these may be present or be prepared in the microorganism, or be introduced in isolated form into the microorganism.

“Endogenous” means genetic information, such as, for example, genes, which is already present in the wild-type genome.

“Exogenous” means genetic information, such as, for example, genes, which is not present in the wild-type genome.

The term “genes” in relation to regulation of transcription by the nucleic adds of the invention having promoter activity preferably means nucleic acids which comprise a region to be transcribed, i.e. for example a region which regulates the translation, and a coding region and, if appropriate, further regulatory elements such as, for example, a terminator.

The term “genes” in relation to the regulation, described hereinafter, of expression by the expression units of the invention preferably means nucleic acids which comprise a coding region and, if appropriate, further regulatory elements such as, for example, a terminator.

A “coding region” means a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a protein.

“Heterologous” in relation to nucleic acids having promoter activity and genes means that the genes used are not in the wild type transcribed under the regulation of the nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, but that a new functional linkage which does not occur in the wild type is produced, and the functional combination of nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity and specific gene does not occur in the wild type.

“Heterologous” in relation to expression units and genes means that the genes used are not in the wild type expressed under the regulation of the expression units of the invention having promoter activity, but that a new functional linkage which does not occur in the wild type is produced, and the functional combination of expression unit of the invention and specific gene does not occur in the wild type.

The invention further relates in a preferred embodiment to a method for increasing or causing the transcription rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type by

-   -   ah) increasing the specific promoter activity in the         microorganism of endogenous nucleic acids of the invention         having promoter activity, which regulate the transcription of         endogenous genes, compared with the wild type, or     -   bh) regulating the transcription of genes in the microorganism         by nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity or by         nucleic acids with increased specific promoter activity         according to embodiment a), where the genes are heterologous in         relation to the nucleic acids having promoter activity.

The regulation of the transcription of genes in the microorganism by nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity or by nucleic acids of the invention with increased specific promoter activity according to embodiment ah) is preferably achieved by

-   -   bh1) introducing one or more nucleic acids of the invention         having promoter activity, if appropriate with increased specific         promoter activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that         transcription of one or more endogenous genes takes place under         the control of the introduced nucleic acid of the invention         having promoter activity, if appropriate with increased specific         promoter activity, or     -   bh2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the         microorganism so that transcription of one or more of the         introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous         nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, if         appropriate with increased specific promoter activity, or     -   bh3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising         a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity, if         appropriate with increased specific promoter activity, and         functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be transcribed,         into the microorganism.

The invention further relates in a preferred embodiment to a method for reducing the transcription rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type by

-   -   ar) reducing the specific promoter activity in the microorganism         of endogenous nucleic acids of the invention having promoter         activity, which regulate the transcription of the endogenous         genes, compared with the wild type, or     -   br) introducing nucleic acids with reduced specific promoter         activity according to embodiment a) into the genome of the         microorganism so that transcription of endogenous genes takes         place under the control of the introduced nucleic acid with         reduced promoter activity.

The invention further relates to a method for altering or causing the expression rate of a gene in microorganisms compared with the wild type by

-   -   c) altering the specific expression activity in the         microorganism of endogenous expression units of the invention,         which regulate the expression of the endogenous genes, compared         with the wild type, or     -   d) regulating the expression of genes in the microorganism by         expression units of the invention or by expression units of the         invention with altered specific expression activity according to         embodiment c), where the genes are heterologous in relation to         the expression units.

According to embodiment c), the alteration or causing of the expression rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type can take place by altering, i.e. increasing or reducing, the specific expression activity in the microorganism. This can take place for example by targeted mutation of the nucleic acid sequence of the invention having promoter activity, i.e. by targeted substitution, deletion or insertion of nucleotides. For example, extending the distance between Shine-Dalgarno sequence and the translation start codon usually leads to a change, a diminution or else an enhancement of the specific expression activity. An alteration of the specific expression activity can also be achieved by either shortening or extending the distance of the sequence of the Shine-Dalgarno region (ribosome binding site) from the translation start codon through deletions or insertions of nucleotides. But also by altering the sequence of the Shine-Dalgarno region in such a way that the homology to complementary 3′ side 16S rRNA is either enhanced or else diminished.

In relation to the “specific expression activity”, an increase or reduction compared with the wild type means an increase or reduction of the specific activity compared with the expression unit of the invention of the wild type, i.e. for example compared with SEQ. ID. NO. 2.

According to embodiment d), the alteration or causing of the expression rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type can take place by regulating the expression of genes in the microorganism by expression units of the invention or by expression units of the invention with altered specific expression activity according to embodiment c), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the expression units.

This is preferably achieved by

-   -   d1) introducing one or more expression units of the invention,         if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, into         the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or         more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the         introduced expression units, or     -   d2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the         microorganism so that expression of one or more of the         introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous         expression units of the invention, if appropriate with altered         specific expression activity, or     -   d3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising         an expression unit of the invention, if appropriate with altered         specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or         more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

It is thus possible to alter, i.e. to increase or to reduce, the expression rate of an endogenous gene of the wild type by

according to embodiment d1) introducing one or more expression units of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced expression units, or according to embodiment d2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous expression units of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, or according to embodiment d3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising an expression unit of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

It is thus further possible to cause the expression rate of an endogenous gene compared with the wild type by

according to embodiment d2) introducing one or more exogenous genes into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous expression units of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, or according to embodiment d3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising an expression unit of the invention, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or more exogenous nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

The insertion of genes according to embodiment d2) can moreover take place by integrating a gene into coding regions or noncoding regions. Insertion preferably takes place into noncoding regions.

Insertion of nucleic acid constructs according to embodiment d3) may moreover take place chromosomally or extrachromosomally. There is preferably chromosomal insertion of the nucleic acid constructs.

The nucleic acid constructs are also referred to hereinafter as expression cassettes.

In embodiment d) there is preferably also use of expression units of the invention with altered specific expression activity in accordance with embodiment c). In embodiment d), as described in embodiment c), these may be present or be prepared in the microorganism, or be introduced in isolated form into the microorganism.

The invention further relates in a preferred embodiment to a method for increasing or causing the expression rate of a gene in microorganisms compared with the wild type by

ch) increasing the specific expression activity in the microorganism of endogenous expression units of the invention, which regulate the expression of the endogenous genes, compared with the wild type, or dh) regulating the expression of genes in the microorganism by expression units of the invention or by expression units with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment c), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the expression units.

The regulation of the expression of genes in the microorganism by expression units of the invention or by expression units with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment c) is preferably achieved by

-   -   dh1) introducing one or more expression units of the invention,         if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, into         the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or         more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the         introduced expression units, if appropriate with increased         specific expression activity, or     -   dh2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the         microorganism so that expression of one or more of the         introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous         expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased         specific expression activity, or     -   dh3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising         an expression unit of the invention, if appropriate with         increased specific expression activity, and functionally linked         one or more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the         microorganism.

The invention further relates to a method for reducing the expression rate of genes in microorganisms compared with the wild type by

cr) reducing the specific expression activity in the microorganism of endogenous expression units of the invention, which regulate the expression of the endogenous genes, compared with the wild type, or dr) introducing expression units with reduced specific expression activity according to embodiment cr) into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced expression units with reduced expression activity.

In a preferred embodiment of the methods of the invention described above for altering or causing the transcription rate and/or expression rate of genes in microorganisms, the genes are selected from the group of nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of fine chemicals, where the genes may, if appropriate, comprise further regulatory elements.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the methods of the invention described above for altering or causing the transcription rate and/or expression rate of genes in microorganisms, the genes are selected from the group of nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of nucleotides and nucleosides, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of organic acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of lipids and fatty acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of diols, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of carbohydrates, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of aromatic compounds, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of vitamins, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of cofactors and nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of enzymes, where the genes may, if appropriate, comprise further regulatory elements.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the proteins from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids are selected from the group of

aspartate kinase, aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, diaminopimelate dehydrogenase, diaminopimelate decarboxylase, dihydrodipicolinate synthetase, dihydrodipicolinate reductase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, pyruvate carboxylase, triosephosphate isomerase, transcriptional regulator LuxR, transcriptional regulator LysR1, transcriptional regulator LysR2, malate-quinone oxidoreductase, glucose-6-phosphate deydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, transketolase, transaldolase, homoserine O-acetyltransferase, cystathionine gamma-synthase, cystathionine beta-lyase, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase, methylenetetrahydro-folate reductase, phosphoserine aminotransferase, phosphoserine phosphatase, serine acetyltransferase, homoserine dehydrogenase, homoserine kinase, threonine synthase, threonine exporter carrier, threonine dehydratase, pyruvate oxidase, lysine exporter, biotin ligase, cysteine synthase I, cysteine synthase II, coenzyme B12-dependent methionine synthase, coenzyme B12-independent methionine synthase activity, sulfate adenylyltransferase subunit 1 and 2, phosphoadenosine-phosphosulfate reductase, ferredoxin-sulfite reductase, ferredoxin NADP reductase, 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, RXA00655 regulator, RXN2910 regulator, arginyl-tRNA synthetase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, threonine efflux protein, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, protein of sulfate reduction RXA077, protein of sulfate reduction RXA248, protein of sulfate reduction RXA247, protein OpcA, 1-phosphofructokinase and 6-phosphofructokinase.

Preferred proteins and nucleic acids encoding these proteins of the proteins described above from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids are respectively protein sequences and nucleic acid sequences of microbial origin, preferably from bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium, preferably from coryneform bacteria, particularly preferably from Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Examples of particularly preferred protein sequences and the corresponding nucleic acid sequences encoding these proteins from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids, the document referring thereto, and the designation thereof in the reference document are listed in Table 1:

TABLE 1 Nucleic SEQ. acid ID. NO. encoding Reference in reference Protein protein document document Aspartate kinase ask or EP1108790 DNA: 281 lysC Protein: 3781 Aspartate-semialdehyde asd EP1108790 DNA: 331 dehydrogenase Protein: 3831 Dihydrodipicolinate dapA WO 0100843 DNA: 55 synthetase Protein: 56 Dihydrodipicolinate dapB WO 0100843 DNA: 35 reductase Protein: 36 meso-Diaminopimelate ddh EP1108790 DNA: 3494 D-dehydrogenase Protein: 6944 Diaminopicolinate lysA EP1108790 DNA: 3451 decarboxylase Prot.: 6951 Lysine exporter lysE EP1108790 DNA: 3455 Prot.: 6955 Arginyl-tRNA synthetase argS EP1108790 DNA: 3450 Prot.: 6950 Glucose-6-phosphate zwf WO 0100844 DNA: 243 dehydrogenase Prot.: 244 Glyceraldehyde-3- gap WO 0100844 DNA: 187 phosphate dehydrogenase Prot.: 188 3-Phosphoglycerate pgk WO 0100844 DNA: 69 kinase Prot.: 70 Pyruvate carboxylase pycA EP1108790 DNA: 765 Prot.: 4265 Triosephosphate tpi WO 0100844 DNA: 61 isomerase Prot.: 62 Biotin ligase birA EP1108790 DNA: 786 Prot.: 4286 PEP carboxylase pck EP1108790 DNA: 3470 Prot.: 6970 Homoserine kinase thrB WO 0100843 DNA: 173 Prot.: 174 Threonine synthase thrC WO 0100843 DNA: 175 Prot.: 176 Threonine export carrier thrE WO 0251231 DNA: 41 Prot.: 42 Threonine efflux protein RXA2390 WO 0100843 DNA: 7 Prot.: 8 Threonine dehydratase ilvA EP 1108790 DNA: 2328 Prot.: 5828 Homoserine metA EP 1108790 DNA: 727 O-acetyltransferase Prot: 4227 Cystathionine gamma- metB EP 1108790 DNA: 3491 synthase Prot: 6991 Cystathionine beta-lyase metC EP 1108790 DNA: 2535 Prot: 6035 Coenzyme B12-dependent metH EP 1108790 DNA: 1663 methionine synthase, - Prot: 5163 O-Acetylhomoserine metY EP 1108790 DNA: 726 sulfhydrylase Prot: 4226 Methylenetetrahydrofolate metF EP 1108790 DNA: 2379 reductase Prot: 5879 D-3-Phosphoglycerate serA EP 1108790 DNA: 1415 dehydrogenase Prot: 4915 Phosphoserine serB WO 0100843 DNA: 153 phosphatase 1 Prot.: 154 Phosphoserine serB EP 1108790 DNA: 467 phosphatase 2 Prot: 3967 Phosphoserine serB EP 1108790 DNA: 334 phosphatase 3 Prot.: 3834 Phosphoserine serC WO 0100843 DNA: 151 aminotransferase Prot.: 152 Serine acetyltransferase cysE WO 0100843 DNA: 243 Prot.: 244 Cysteine synthase I cysK EP 1108790 DNA: 2817 Prot.: 6317 Cysteine synthase II CysM EP 1108790 DNA: 2338 Prot.: 5838 Homoserine hom EP 1108790 DNA: 3452 dehydrogenase Prot.: 6952 Coenzyme B12- metE WO 0100843 DNA: 755 independent methionine Prot.: 756 synthase Serine glyA WO 0100843 DNA: 143 hydroxymethyltransferase Prot.: 144 Protein in sulfate reduction RXA247 EP 1108790 DNA: 3089 Prot.: 6589 Protein in sulfate reduction RXA248 EP 1108790 DNA: 3090 Prot.: 6590 Sulfate adenyltransferase CysN EP 1108790 DNA: 3092 subunit 1 Prot.: 6592 Sulfate adenyltransferase CysD EP 1108790 DNA: 3093 subunit 2 Prot.: 6593 Phosphoadenosine- CysH WO DNA: 7 phosphosulfate reductase 02729029 Prot.: 8 Ferredoxin-sulfite RXA073 WO 0100842 DNA: 329 reductase Prot.: 330 Ferredoxin NADP- RXA076 WO 0100843 DNA: 79 reductase Prot.: 80 Transcriptional regulator luxR WO 0100842 DNA: 297 LuxR Protein: 298 Transcriptional regulator lysR1 EP 1108790 DNA: 676 LysR1 Protein: 4176 Transcriptional regulator lysR2 EP 1108790 DNA: 3228 LysR2 Protein: 6728 Transcriptional regulator lysR3 EP 1108790 DNA: 2200 LysR3 Protein: 5700 Malate-quinone mqo WO 0100844 DNA: 569 oxidoreductase Protein: 570 Transketolase RXA2739 EP 1108790 DNA: 1740 Prot: 5240 Transaldolase RXA2738 WO 0100844 DNA: 245 Prot: 246 OpcA opcA WO 0100804 DNA: 79 Prot: 80 1-Phosphofructokinase 1 pfk1 WO0100844 DNA: 55 Protein: 56 1-Phosphofructokinase 2 pfk2 WO0100844 DNA: 57 Protein: 58 6-Phosphofructokinase 1 6-pfk1 EP 1108790 DNA: 1383 Protein: 4883 6-Phosphofructokinase 2 6-pfk2 DE 10112992 DNA: 1 Protein: 2 Fructose-1,6- fbr1 EP1108790 DNA: 1136 bisphosphatase 1 Protein: 4636 Pyruvate oxidase poxB WO 0100844 DNA: 85 Protein: 86 RXA00655 regulator RXA655 US2003162267.2 DNA: 1 Prot.: 2 RXN02910 regulator RXN2910 US2003162267.2 DNA: 5 Prot.: 6 6-phosphoglucono- RXA2735 WO 0100844 DNA: 1 lactonase Prot.: 2

A further example of a particularly preferred protein sequence and the corresponding nucleic acid sequence encoding this protein from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids is the sequence of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 2, also called fbr2, (SEQ. ID. NO. 23) and the corresponding nucleic acid sequence encoding a fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 2 (SEQ. ID. NO. 22).

A further example of a particularly preferred protein sequence and the corresponding nucleic acid sequence encoding this protein from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids is the sequence of the protein in sulfate reduction, also called RXA077, (SEQ. ID. NO. 3) and the corresponding nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein in sulfate reduction (SEQ. ID. NO. 4).

Further particularly preferred protein sequences from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids have in each case the amino acid sequence indicated in Table 1 for this protein, where the respective protein has, in at least one of the amino acid positions indicated in Table 2/column 2 for this amino acid sequence, a different proteinogenic amino acid than the respective amino acid indicated in Table 2/column 3 in the same line. In a further preferred embodiment, the proteins have, in at least one of the amino acid positions indicated in Table 2/column 2 for the amino acid sequence, the amino acid indicated in Table 2/column 4 in the same line. The proteins indicated in Table 2 are mutated proteins of the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids, which have particularly advantageous properties and are therefore particularly suitable for expressing the corresponding nucleic acids through the promoter of the invention and for producing amino acids. For example, the mutation T311I leads to the feedback inhibition of ask being switched off.

The corresponding nucleic acids which encode a mutated protein described above from Table 2 can be prepared by conventional methods.

A suitable starting point for preparing the nucleic acid sequences encoding a mutated protein is, for example, the genome of a Corynebacterium glutamicum strain which is obtainable from the American Type Culture Collection under the designation ATCC 13032, or the nucleic acid sequences referred to in Table 1. For the back-translation of the amino acid sequence of the mutated proteins into the nucleic acid sequences encoding these proteins, it is advantageous to use the codon usage of the organism into which the nucleic acid sequence is to be introduced or in which the nucleic acid sequence is present. For example, it is advantageous to use the codon usage of Corynebacterium glutamicum for Corynebacterium glutamicum. The codon usage of the particular organism can be ascertained in a manner known per se from databases or patent applications which describe at least one protein and one gene which encodes this protein from the desired organism.

The information in Table 2 is to be understood in the following way:

In column 1 “identification”, an unambiguous designation for each sequence in relation to Table 1 is indicated.

In column 2 “AA-POS”, the respective number refers to the amino acid position of the corresponding polypeptide sequence from Table 1. A “26” in the column “AA-POS” accordingly means amino acid position 26 of the correspondingly indicated polypeptide sequence. The numbering of the position starts at +1 at the N terminus.

In column 3 “AA wild type”, the respective letter designates the amino acid—represented in one-letter code—at the position indicated in column 2 in the corresponding wild-type strain of the sequence from Table 1.”

In column 4 “AA mutant”, the respective letter designates the amino acid—represented in one-letter code—at the position indicated in column 2 in the corresponding mutant strain.

In column 5 “function”, the physiological function of the corresponding “polypeptide sequence is indicated.

For mutated protein with a particular function (column 5) and a particular initial amino acid sequence (Table 1), columns 2, 3 and 4 describe at least one mutation, and a plurality of mutations for some sequences. This plurality of mutations always refers to the closest initial amino acid sequence above in each case (Table 1). The term “at least one of the amino acid positions” of a particular amino acid sequence preferably means at least one of the mutations described for this amino acid sequence in columns 2, 3 and 4.

One-letter code for proteinogenic amino acids:

A alanine C cysteine D aspartate E glutamate F phenylalanine G glycine H histidine I isoleucine K lysine L leucine M methionine N asparagine P proline Q glutamine R arginine S serine T threonine V valine W tryptophan Y tyrosine

TABLE 2 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 1 AA AA wild AA Column 5 Identification position type mutant Function ask 317 S A aspartate kinase 311 T I 279 A T asd 66 D G aspartate- semialdehyde dehydrogenase 234 R H 272 D E 285 K E 20 L F dapA 2 S A dihydrodipicolinate synthetase 84 K N 85 L V dapB 91 D A dihydrodipicolinate reductase 83 D N ddh 174 D E meso-diaminopimelate D-dehydrogenase 235 F L 237 S A lysA 265 A D diaminopicolinate decarboxylase 320 D N 332 I V argS 355 G D arginyl-tRNA synthetase 156 A S 513 V A 540 H R zwf 8 S T glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase 150 T A 321 G S gap 264 G S glyceraldehyde- 3-phosphate dehydrogenase pycA 7 S L pyruvate carboxylase 153 E D 182 A S 206 A S 227 H R 455 A G 458 P S 639 S T 1008 R H 1059 S P 1120 D E pck 162 H Y PEP carboxylase 241 G D 829 T R thrB 103 S A homoserine kinase 190 T A 133 A V 138 P S thrC 69 G R threonine synthase 478 T I RXA330 85 I M threonine efflux protein 161 F I 195 G D hom 104 V I homoserine dehydrogenase 116 T I 148 G A 59 V A 270 T S 345 R P 268 K N 61 D H 72 E Q lysR1 80 R H transcriptional regulator LysR1 lysR3 142 R W transcriptional regulator LysR3 179 A T RXA2739 75 N D transketolase 329 A T 332 A T 556 V I RXA2738 242 K M transaldolase opcA 107 Y H OpcA 219 K N 233 P S 261 Y H 312 S F 65 G R aspartate-1- decarboxylase 33 G S 6-phospho- gluconolactonase

In the methods of the invention described above for altering or causing the transcription rate and/or expression rate of genes in microorganisms, and the methods described hereinafter for producing genetically modified microorganisms, the genetically modified microorganisms described hereinafter and the methods described hereinafter for producing biosynthetic products, the introduction of the nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity, of the expression units of the invention, of the genes described above and of the nucleic acid constructs or expression cassettes described above into the microorganism, in particular into coryneform bacteria, preferably takes place by the SacB method.

The SacB method is known to the skilled worker and described for example in Schäfer A, Tauch A, Jäger W, Kalinowski J, Thierbach G, Pühler A.; Small mobilizable multi-purpose cloning vectors derived from the Escherichia coli plasmids pK18 and pK19: selection of defined deletions in the chromosome of Corynebacterium glutamicum, Gene. 1994 Jul. 22; 145(1):69-73 and Blomfield I C, Vaughn V, Rest R F, Eisenstein B I.; Allelic exchange in Escherichia coli using the Bacillus subtilis sacB gene and a temperature-sensitive pSC101 replicon; Mol Microbiol. 1991 June; 5(6):1447-57.

In a preferred embodiment of the methods of the invention described above, the alteration or causing of the transcription rate and/or expression rate of genes in microorganisms takes place by introducing nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity or expression units of the invention into the microorganism.

In a further preferred embodiment of the methods of the invention described above, the alteration or causing of the transcription rate and/or expression rate of genes in microorganisms takes place by introducing the nucleic acid constructs or expression cassettes described above into the microorganism.

The invention therefore also relates to an expression cassette comprising

at least one expression unit of the invention at least one further nucleic add sequence to be expressed, i.e. a gene to be expressed and if appropriate further genetic control elements such as, for example, a terminator, where at least one expression unit and a further nucleic acid sequence to be expressed are functionally linked together, and the further nucleic acid sequence to be expressed is heterologous in relation to the expression unit.

The nucleic acid sequence to be expressed is preferably at least one nucleic acid encoding a protein from the biosynthesis pathway of fine chemicals.

The nucleic acid sequence to be expressed is particularly preferably selected from the group of nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino adds, nucleic adds encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of nucleotides and nucleosides, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of organic acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of lipids and fatty acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of diols, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of carbohydrates, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of aromatic compounds, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of vitamins, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of cofactors and nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of enzymes.

Preferred proteins from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids are described above and examples thereof are described in Tables 1 and 2.

The physical location of the expression unit relative to the gene to be expressed in the expression cassettes of the invention is chosen so that the expression unit regulates the transcription and preferably also the translation of the gene to be expressed, and thus enables one or more proteins to be produced. “Enabling production” includes in this connection a constitutive increase in the production, diminution or blocking of production under specific conditions and/or increasing the production under specific conditions. The “conditions” comprise in this connection: (1) addition of a component to the culture medium, (2) removal of a component from the culture medium, (3) replacement of one component in the culture medium by a second component, (4) increasing the temperature of the culture medium, (5) reducing the temperature of the culture medium, and (6) regulating the atmospheric conditions such as, for example, the oxygen or nitrogen concentration in which the culture medium is kept.

The invention further relates to an expression vector comprising an expression cassette of the invention described above.

Vectors are well known to the skilled worker and can be found in “Cloning Vectors” (“Pouwels P. H. et al., editors, Elsevier, Amsterdam-New York-Oxford, 1985). Apart from plasmids, vectors also mean all other vectors known to the skilled worker, such as, for example, phages, transposons, IS elements, phasmids, cosmids, and linear or circular DNA. These vectors may undergo autonomous replication in the host organism or chromosomal replication.

Suitable and particularly preferred plasmids are those which are replicated in coryneform bacteria. Numerous known plasmid vectors such as, for example, pZ1 (Menkel et al., Applied and Environmental Microbiology (1989) 64: 549-554), pEKEx1 (Eikmanns et al., Gene 102: 93-98 (1991)) or pHS2-1 (Sonnen et al., Gene 107: 69-74 (1991)) are based on the cryptic plasmids pHM1519, pBL1 or pGA1. Other plasmid vectors such as, for example, pCLiK5MCS, or those based on pCG4 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,160) or pNG2 (Serwold-Davis et al., FEMS Microbiology Letters 66, 119-124 (1990)) or pAG1 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,891), can be used in the same way.

Also suitable are those plasmid vectors with the aid of which the method of gene amplification by integration into the chromosome can be used, as described for example by Reinscheid et al. (Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60, 126-132 (1994)) for the duplication and amplification of the hom-thrB operon. In this method the complete gene is cloned into a plasmid vector which is able to replicate in a host (typically E. coli) but not in C. glutamicum. Examples of suitable vectors are pSUP301 (Simon et al., Bio/Technology 1, 784-791 (1983)), pK18mob or pK19mob (Schäfer et al., Gene 145, 69-73 (1994)), Bernard et al., Journal of Molecular Biology, 234: 534-541 (1993)), pEM1 (Schrumpf et al. 1991, Journal of Bacteriology 173: 4510-4516) or pBGS8 (Spratt et al., 1986, Gene 41: 337-342). The plasmid vector which comprises the gene to be amplified is subsequently transferred by transformation into the desired strain of C. glutamicum. Methods for transformation are described for example in Thierbach et al. (Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 29, 356-362 (1988)), Dunican and Shivnan (Biotechnology 7, 1067-1070 (1989)) and Tauch et al. (FEMS Microbiological Letters 123, 343-347 (1994)).

The invention further relates to a genetically modified microorganism where the genetic modification leads to an alteration or causing of the transcription rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, and is dependent on

a) altering the specific promoter activity in the microorganism of at least one endogenous nucleic acid having promoter activity according to claim 1, which regulates the transcription of at least one endogenous gene, or b) regulating the transcription of genes in the microorganism by nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1 or by nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1 with altered specific promoter activity according to embodiment a), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the nucleic acids having promoter activity.

As described above for the methods, the regulation of the transcription of genes in the microorganism by nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1 or by nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1 with altered specific promoter activity according to embodiment a), is achieved by

b1) introducing one or more nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced nucleic acid having promoter activity according to claim 1, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, or b2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, or b3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising a nucleic acid having promoter activity according to claim 1, if appropriate with altered specific promoter activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be transcribed, into the microorganism.

The invention further relates to a genetically modified microorganism having elevated or caused transcription rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, where

ah) the specific promoter activity in the microorganism of endogenous nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1, which regulate the transcription of endogenous genes, is increased compared with the wild type, or bh) the transcription of genes in the microorganism is regulated by nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1 or by nucleic acids having increased specific promoter activity according to embodiment ah), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the nucleic acids having promoter activity.

As described above for the methods, the regulation of the transcription of genes in the microorganism by nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1 or by nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1 with increased specific promoter activity according to embodiment a), is achieved by

bh1) introducing one or more nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1, if appropriate with increased specific promoter activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced nucleic acid having promoter activity, if appropriate with increased specific promoter activity, or bh2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous nucleic acids having promoter activity according to claim 1, if appropriate with increased specific promoter activity, or bh3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising a nucleic add having promoter activity according to claim 1, if appropriate with increased specific promoter activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be transcribed, into the microorganism.

The invention further relates to a genetically modified microorganism with reduced transcription rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, where

ar) the specific promoter activity in the microorganism of at least one endogenous nucleic acid having promoter activity according to claim 1, which regulates the transcription of at least one endogenous gene, is reduced compared with the wild type, or br) one or more nucleic acids having reduced promoter activity according to embodiment a) are introduced into the genome of the microorganism so that the transcription of at least one endogenous gene takes place under the control of the introduced nucleic acid having reduced promoter activity.

The invention further relates to a genetically modified microorganism, where the genetic modification leads to an alteration or causing of the expression rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, and is dependent on

c) altering the specific expression activity in the microorganism of at least one endogenous expression unit according to claim 2 or 3, which regulates the expression of at least one endogenous gene, compared with the wild type or d) regulating the expression of genes in the microorganism by expression units according to claim 2 or 3 or by expression units according to claim 2 or 3 with altered specific expression activity according to embodiment a), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the expression units.

As described above for the methods, the regulation of the expression of genes in the microorganism by expression units according to claim 2 or 3 or by expression units according to claim 2 or 3 with altered specific expression activity according to embodiment a) is achieved by

d1) introducing one or more expression units according to claim 2 or 3, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced expression units according to claim 2 or 3, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, or d2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous expression units according to claim 2 or 3, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, or d3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising an expression unit according to claim 2 or 3, if appropriate with altered specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

The invention further relates to a genetically modified microorganism with increased or caused expression rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, where

ch) the specific expression activity in the microorganism of at least one endogenous expression unit according to claim 2 or 3, which regulates the expression of the endogenous genes, is increased compared with the wild type, or dh) the expression of genes in the microorganism is regulated by expression units according to claim 2 or 3 or by expression units according to claim 2 or 3 with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment a), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the expression units.

As described above for the methods, the regulation of the expression of genes in the microorganism by expression units according to claim 2 or 3 or by expression units according to claim 2 or 3 with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment a) is achieved by

dh1) introducing one or more expression units according to claim 2 or 3, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced expression units according to claim 2 or 3, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, or dh2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous expression units according to claim 2 or 3, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, or dh3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising an expression unit according to claim 2 or 3, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

The invention further relates to a genetically modified microorganism with reduced expression rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, where

cr) the specific expression activity in the microorganism of at least one endogenous expression unit according to claim 2 or 3, which regulates the expression of at least one endogenous gene, is reduced compared with the wild type, or dr) one or more expression units according to claim 2 or 3 with reduced expression activity are introduced into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of at least one endogenous gene takes place under the control of the introduced expression unit according to claim 2 or 3 with reduced expression activity.

The invention further relates to a genetically modified microorganism comprising an expression unit according to claim 2 or 3 and functionally linked a gene to be expressed, where the gene is heterologous in relation to the expression unit.

This genetically modified microorganism particularly preferably comprises an expression cassette of the invention.

The present invention particularly preferably relates to genetically modified microorganisms, in particular coryneform bacteria, which comprise a vector, in particular shuttle vector or plasmid vector, which harbors at least one recombinant nucleic acid construct as defined according to the invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the genetically modified microorganisms, the genes described above are at least one nucleic acid encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of fine chemicals.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the genetically modified microorganisms, the genes described above are selected from the group of nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of nucleotides and nucleosides, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of organic acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of lipids and fatty acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of diols, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of carbohydrates, nucleic adds encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of aromatic compounds, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of vitamins, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of cofactors and nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of enzymes, where the genes may, if appropriate comprise further regulatory elements.

Preferred proteins from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids are selected from the group of aspartate kinase, aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, diaminopimelate dehydrogenase, diaminopimelate decarboxylase, dihydrodipicolinate synthetase, dihydrodipicolinate reductase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, pyruvate carboxylase, triosephosphate isomerase, transcriptional regulator LuxR, transcriptional regulator LysR1, transcriptional regulator LysR2, malate-quinone oxidoreductase, glucose-6-phosphate deydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, transketolase, transaldolase, homoserine O-acetyltransferase, cystathionine gamma-synthase, cystathionine beta-lyase, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase, methylenetetrahydro-folate reductase, phosphoserine aminotransferase, phosphoserine phosphatase, serine acetyltransferase, homoserine dehydrogenase, homoserine kinase, threonine synthase, threonine exporter carrier, threonine dehydratase, pyruvate oxidase, lysine exporter, biotin ligase, cysteine synthase I, cysteine synthase II, coenzyme B12-dependent methionine synthase, coenzyme B12-independent methionine synthase activity, sulfate adenylyltransferase subunit 1 and 2, phosphoadenosine-phosphosulfate reductase, ferredoxin-sulfite reductase, ferredoxin NADP reductase, 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, RXA00655 regulator, RXN2910 regulator, arginyl-tRNA synthetase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, threonine efflux protein, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, protein of sulfate reduction RXA077, protein of sulfate reduction RXA248, protein of sulfate reduction RXA247, protein OpcA, 1-phosphofructokinase and 6-phosphofructokinase.

Particularly preferred examples of the proteins and genes from the biosynthetic pathway of amino acids are described above in Table 1 and Table 2.

Preferred microorganisms or genetically modified microorganisms are bacteria, algae, fungi or yeasts.

Particularly preferred microorganisms are, in particular, coryneform bacteria.

Preferred coryneform bacteria are bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium, in particular of the species Corynebacterium glutamicum, Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum, Corynebacterium acetoacidophilum, Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes, Corynebacterium melassecola and Corynebacterium efficiens or of the genus Brevibacterium, in particular of the species Brevibacterium flavum, Brevibacterium lactofermentum and Brevibacterium divaricatum.

Particularly preferred bacteria of the genera Corynebacterium and Brevibacterium are selected from the group of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032, Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum ATCC 15806, Corynebacterium acetoacidophilum ATCC 13870, Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes FERM BP-1539, Corynebacterium melassecola ATCC 17965, Corynebacterium efficiens DSM 44547, Corynebacterium efficiens DSM 44548, Corynebacterium efficiens DSM 44549, Brevibacterium flavum ATCC 14067, Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC 13869, Brevibacterium divaricatum ATCC 14020, Corynebacterium glutamicum KFCC10065 and Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC21608.

The abbreviation KFCC means the Korean Federation of Culture Collection, the abbreviation ATCC the American type strain culture collection and the abbreviation DSM the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen.

Further particularly preferred bacteria of the genera Corynebacterium and Brevibacterium are listed in Table 3:

Bacterium Deposition number Genus species ATCC FERM NRRL CECT NCIMB CBS NCTC DSMZ Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 21054 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 19350 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 19351 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 19352 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 19353 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 19354 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 19355 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 19356 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 21055 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 21077 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 21553 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 21580 Brevibacterium ammoniagenes 39101 Brevibacterium butanicum 21196 Brevibacterium divaricatum 21792 P928  Brevibacterium flavum 21474 Brevibacterium flavum 21129 Brevibacterium flavum 21518 Brevibacterium flavum B11474 Brevibacterium flavum B11472 Brevibacterium flavum 21127 Brevibacterium flavum 21128 Brevibacterium flavum 21427 Brevibacterium flavum 21475 Brevibacterium flavum 21517 Brevibacterium flavum 21528 Brevibacterium flavum 21529 Brevibacterium flavum B11477 Brevibacterium flavum B11478 Brevibacterium flavum 21127 Brevibacterium flavum B11474 Brevibacterium healii 15527 Brevibacterium ketoglutamicum 21004 Brevibacterium ketoglutamicum 21089 Brevibacterium ketosoreductum 21914 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 70 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 74 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 77 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 21798 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 21799 Brevi bacterium lactofermentum 21800 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 21801 Brevibacterium lactofermentum B11470 Brevibacterium lactofermentum B11471 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 21086 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 21420 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 21086 Brevibacterium lactofermentum 31269 Brevibacterium linens 9174 Brevibacterium linens 19391 Brevibacterium linens 8377 Brevibacterium paraffinolyticum 11160 Brevibacterium spec. 717.73 Brevibacterium spec. 717.73 Brevibacterium spec. 14604 Brevibacterium spec. 21860 Brevibacterium spec. 21864 Brevibacterium spec. 21865 Brevibacterium spec. 21866 Brevibacterium spec. 19240 Corynebacterium acetoacidophilum 21476 Corynebacterium acetoacidophilum 13870 Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum B11473 Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum B11475 Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum 15806 Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum 21491 Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum 31270 Corynebacterium acetophilum B3671  Corynebacterium ammoniagenes 6872 2399 Corynebacterium ammoniagenes 15511 Corynebacterium fujiokense 21496 Corynebacterium glutamicum 14067 Corynebacterium glutamicum 39137 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21254 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21255 Corynebacterium glutamicum 31830 Corynebacterium glutamicum 13032 Corynebacterium glutamicum 14305 Corynebacterium glutamicum 15455 Corynebacterium glutamicum 13058 Corynebacterium glutamicum 13059 Corynebacterium glutamicum 13060 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21492 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21513 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21526 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21543 Corynebacterium glutamicum 13287 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21851 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21253 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21514 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21516 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21299 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21300 Corynebacterium glutamicum 39684 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21488 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21649 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21650 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19223 Corynebacterium glutamicum 13869 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21157 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21158 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21159 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21355 Corynebacterium glutamicum 31808 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21674 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21562 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21563 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21564 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21565 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21566 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21567 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21568 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21569 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21570 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21571 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21572 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21573 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21579 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19049 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19050 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19051 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19052 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19053 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19054 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19055 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19056 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19057 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19058 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19059 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19060 Corynebacterium glutamicum 19185 Corynebacterium glutamicum 13286 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21515 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21527 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21544 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21492 Corynebacterium glutamicum B8183  Corynebacterium glutamicum B8182  Corynebacterium glutamicum B12416 Corynebacterium glutamicum B12417 Corynebacterium glutamicum B12418 Corynebacterium glutamicum B11476 Corynebacterium glutamicum 21608 Corynebacterium lilium P973  Corynebacterium nitrilophilus 21419 11594 Corynebacterium spec. P4445 Corynebacterium spec. P4446 Corynebacterium spec. 31088 Corynebacterium spec. 31089 Corynebacterium spec. 31090 Corynebacterium spec. 31090 Corynebacterium spec. 31090 Corynebacterium spec. 15954 20145 Corynebacterium spec. 21857 Corynebacterium spec. 21862 Corynebacterium spec. 21863 The abbreviations have the following meaning: ATCC: American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, MD, USA FERM: Fermentation Research Institute, Chiba, Japan NRRL: ARS Culture Collection, Northern Regional Research Laboratory, Peoria, IL, USA CECT: Coleccion Espanola de Cultivos Tipo, Valencia, Spain NCIMB: National Collection of Industrial and Marine Bacteria Ltd., Aberdeen, UK CBS: Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn, NL NCTC: National Collection of Type Cultures, London, UK DSMZ: Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Brunswick, Germany

Through the nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity and the expression units of the invention it is possible with the aid of the methods of the invention described above to regulate the metabolic pathways in the genetically modified microorganisms of the invention described above to specific biosynthetic products.

For this purpose, for example, metabolic pathways which lead to a specific biosynthetic product are enhanced by causing or increasing the transcription rate or expression rate of genes of this biosynthetic pathway in which the increased quantity of protein leads to an increased total activity of these proteins of the desired biosynthetic pathway and thus to an enhanced metabolic flux toward the desired biosynthetic product.

In addition, metabolic pathways which diverge from a specific biosynthetic product can be diminished by reducing the transcription rate or expression rate of genes of this divergent biosynthetic pathway in which the reduced quantity of protein leads to a reduced total activity of these proteins of the unwanted biosynthetic pathway and thus additionally to an enhanced metabolic flux toward the desired biosynthetic product.

The genetically modified microorganisms of the invention are able for example to produce biosynthetic products from glucose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, maltose, molasses, starch, cellulose or from glycerol and ethanol.

The invention therefore relates to a method for producing biosynthetic products by cultivating genetically modified microorganisms of the invention.

Depending on the desired biosynthetic product, the transcription rate or expression rate of various genes must be increased or reduced. Ordinarily, it is advantageous to alter the transcription rate or expression rate of a plurality of genes, i.e. to increase the transcription rate or expression rate of a combination of genes and/or to reduce the transcription rate or expression rate of a combination of genes.

In the genetically modified microorganisms of the invention, at least one altered, i.e. increased or reduced, transcription rate or expression rate of a gene is attributable to a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity or expression unit of the invention.

Further, additionally altered, i.e. additionally increased or additionally reduced, transcription rates or expression rates of further genes in the genetically modified microorganism may, but need not, derive from the nucleic acids of the invention having promoter activity or the expression units of the invention.

The invention therefore further relates to a method for producing biosynthetic products by cultivating genetically modified microorganisms of the invention.

Preferred biosynthetic products are fine chemicals.

The term “fine chemical” is known in the art and includes compounds which are produced by an organism and are used in various branches of industry such as, for example but not restricted to, the pharmaceutical industry, the agriculture, cosmetics, food and feed industries. These compounds include organic acids such as, for example, tartaric acid, itaconic acid and “diaminopimelic add, and proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids, purine bases and pyrimidine bases, nucleosides and nucleotides (as described for example in Kuninaka, A. (1996) Nucleotides and related compounds, pp. 561-612, in Biotechnology vol. 6, Rehm et al., editors, VCH: Weinheim and the references present therein), lipids, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (e.g. arachidonic acid), diols (e.g. propanediol and butanediol), carbohydrates (e.g. hyaluronic acid and trehalose), aromatic compounds (e.g. aromatic amines, vanillin and indigo), vitamins and cofactors (as described in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, vol. A27, “Vitamins”, pp. 443-613 (1996) VCH: Weinheim and the references present therein; and Ong, A. S., Niki, E. and Packer, L. (1995) “Nutrition, Lipids, Health and Disease” Proceedings of the UNESCO/Confederation of Scientific and Technological Associations in Malaysia and the Society for Free Radical Research—Asia, held on Sep. 1-3, 1994 in Penang, Malaysia, AOCS Press (1995)), enzymes and all other chemicals described by Gutcho (1983) in Chemicals by Fermentation, Noyes Data Corporation, ISBN: 0818805086 and the references indicated therein. The metabolism and the uses of certain fine chemicals are explained further below.

I. Amino Acid Metabolism and Uses

The amino acids comprise the fundamental structural units of all proteins and are thus essential for normal cell functions. The term “amino acid” is known in the art. The proteinogenic amino acids, of which there are 20 types, serve as structural units for proteins, in which they are linked together by peptide bonds, whereas the non-proteinogenic amino acids (of which hundreds are known) usually do not occur in proteins (see Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, vol. A2, pp. 57-97 VCH: Weinheim (1985)). The amino acids may be in the D or L configuration, although L-amino acids are usually the only type found in naturally occurring proteins. Biosynthetic and degradation pathways of each of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids are well characterized both in prokaryotic and in eukaryotic cells (see, for example, Stryer, L. Biochemistry, 3rd edition, pp. 578-590 (1988)). The “essential” amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine), so-called because they must, owing to the complexity of their biosynthesis, be taken in with the diet, are converted by simple biosynthetic pathways into the other 11 “nonessential” amino acids (alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartate, cysteine, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine). Higher animals have the ability to synthesize some of these amino adds, but the essential amino acids must be taken in with the food in order for normal protein synthesis to take place.

Apart from their function in protein biosynthesis, these amino acids are chemicals of interest per se, and it has been found that many have uses in various applications in the foodstuffs, feedingstuffs, chemicals, cosmetics, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries. Lysine is an important amino acid not only for human nutrition but also for monogastric species such as poultry and pigs. Glutamate is used most frequently as flavor additive (monosodium glutamate, MSG) and widely in the food industry, as well as aspartate, phenylalanine, glycine and cysteine. Glycine, L-methionine and tryptophan are all used in the pharmaceutical industry. Glutamine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, histidine, arginine, proline, serine and alanine are used in the pharmaceutical industry and the cosmetics industry. Threonine, tryptophan and D-/L-methionine are widely used feed additives (Leuchtenberger, W. (1996) Amino acids—technical production and use, pp. 466-502 in Rehm et al., (editors) Biotechnology vol. 6, chapter 14a, VCH: Weinheim). It has been found that these amino acids are additionally suitable as precursors for synthesizing synthetic amino acids and proteins such as N-acetylcysteine, S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine, (S)-5-hydroxytryptophan and other substances described in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, vol. A2, pp. 57-97, VCH, Weinheim, 1985.

The biosynthesis of these natural amino acids in organisms able to produce them, for example bacteria, has been well characterized (for a review of bacterial amino acid biosynthesis and its regulation, see Umbarger, H. E. (1978) Ann. Rev. Biochem. 47: 533-606). Glutamate is synthesized by reductive amination of α-ketoglutarate, an intermediate in the citric acid cycle. Glutamine, proline and arginine are each generated successively from glutamate. Biosynthesis of serine takes place in a three-step method and starts with 3-phosphoglycerate (an intermediate of glycolysis) and yields this amino acid after oxidation, transamination and hydrolysis steps. Cysteine and glycine are each produced from serine, the former by condensation of homocysteine with serine, and the latter by transfer of the side-chain β-carbon atom to tetrahydrofolate in a reaction catalyzed by serine transhydroxymethylase.

Phenylalanine and tyrosine are synthesized from the precursors of the glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways, erythrose 4-phosphate and phosphenolpyruvate in a 9-step biosynthetic pathway which differs only in the last two steps after the synthesis of prephenate. Tryptophan is likewise produced from these two starting molecules, but its synthesis takes place in an 11-step pathway. Tyrosine can also be produced from phenylalanine in a reaction catalyzed by phenylalanine hydroxylase. Alanine, valine and leucine are each biosynthetic products of pyruvate, the final product of glycolysis. Aspartate is formed from oxalacetate, an intermediate of the citrate cycle. Asparagine, methionine, threonine and lysine are each produced by conversion of aspartate. Isoleucine is formed from threonine. Histidine is formed in a complex 9-step pathway from 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate, an activated sugar.

Amino acids whose quantity exceeds the protein biosynthesis requirement of the cell cannot be stored and are instead degraded, so that intermediates are provided for the main metabolic pathways of the cell (for a review, see Stryer, L., Biochemistry, 3rd edition, chapter 21 “Amino Acid Degradation and the Urea Cycle”; pp. 495-516 (1988)). Although the cell is able to convert unwanted amino acids into useful metabolic intermediates, amino acid production is costly in terms of the energy, the precursor molecules and the enzymes required for their synthesis. It is therefore not surprising that amino acid biosynthesis is regulated by feedback inhibition, where the presence of a particular amino acid slows down or entirely terminates its own production (for a review of the feedback mechanism in amino acid biosynthetic pathways, see Stryer, L., Biochemistry, 3rd edition, chapter 24, “Biosynthesis of Amino Adds and Heme”, pp. 575-600 (1988)). The output of a particular amino acid is therefore restricted by the quantity of this amino acid in the cell.

II. Vitamins, Cofactors and Nutraceutical Metabolism, and Uses

Vitamins, cofactors and nutraceuticals comprise a further group of molecules. Higher animals have lost the ability to synthesize these and therefore need to take them in, although they are easily synthesized by other organisms such as bacteria. These molecules are either biologically active molecules per se or precursors of biologically active substances which serve as electron carriers or intermediates in a number of metabolic pathways. These compounds have, besides their nutritional value, also a significant industrial value as coloring agents, antioxidants and catalysts or other processing aids. (For a review of the structure, activity and industrial applications of these compounds, see, for example, Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, “Vitamins”, vol. A27, pp. 443-613, VCH: Weinheim, 1996). The term “vitamin” is known in the art and includes nutrients which are required by an organism for normal functioning, but cannot be synthesized by this organism itself. The group of vitamins may include cofactors and nutraceutical compounds. The term “cofactor” comprises non-protein compounds which are necessary for the occurrence of normal enzymic activity. These compounds may be organic or inorganic; the cofactor molecules of the invention are preferably organic. The term “nutraceutical” comprises food additives which promote health in plants and animals, especially in humans. Examples of such molecules are vitamins, antioxidants and likewise certain lipids (e.g. polyunsaturated fatty acids).

Biosynthesis of these molecules in organisms able to produce them, such as bacteria, has been characterized in detail (Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, “Vitamins”, vol. A27, pp. 443-613, VCH: Weinheim, 1996, Michal, G. (1999) Biochemical Pathways An Atlas of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons; Ong, A. S., Niki, E. and Packer, L. (1995) “Nutrition, Lipids, Health and Disease” Proceedings of the UNESCO/Confederation of Scientific and Technological Associations in Malaysia and the Society for free Radical Research—Asia, held on Sep. 1-3, 1994, in Penang, Malaysia, AOCS Press, Champaign, Ill. X, 374 S).

Thiamine (vitamin B₁) is formed by chemical coupling of pyrimidine and thiazole units. Riboflavin (vitamin B₂) is synthesized from guanosine 5′-triphosphate (GTP) and ribose 5-phosphate. Riboflavin in turn is employed for the synthesis of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD). The family of compounds referred to jointly as “vitamin” B6” (e.g. pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and the commercially used pyridoxine hydrochloride) are all derivatives of the common structural unit 5-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine. Pantothenate (pantothenic acid, R-(+)-N-(2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl)-β-alanine) can be produced either by chemical synthesis or by fermentation. The last steps in pantothenate biosynthesis consist of ATP-driven condensation of β-alanine and pantoic acid. The enzymes responsible for the biosynthetic steps for conversion into pantoic acid, into β-alanine and for condensation to pantothenic acid are known. The metabolically active form of pantothenate is coenzyme A, whose biosynthesis proceeds through 5 enzymatic steps. Pantothenate, pyridoxal 5-phosphate, cysteine and ATP are the precursors of coenzyme A. These enzymes catalyze not only the formation of pantothenate but also the production of (R)-pantoic acid, (R)-pantolactone, (R)-panthenol (provitamin B₅), pantethein (and its derivatives) and coenzyme A.

The biosynthesis of biotin from the precursor molecule pimeloyl-CoA in microorganisms has been investigated in detail, and several of the genes involved have been identified. It has emerged that many of the corresponding proteins are involved in Fe cluster synthesis and belong to the class of nifS proteins. Lipoic acid is derived from octanoic acid and serves as coenzyme in energy metabolism, where it becomes a constituent of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and of the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. The folates are a group of substances which are all derived from folic acid, which in turn is derived from L-glutamic acid, p-aminobenzoic acid and 6-methylpterin. The biosynthesis of folic acid and its derivatives starting from the metabolic intermediates guanosine 5′-triphosphate (GTP), L-glutamic acid and p-aminobenzoic acid has been investigated in detail in certain microorganisms.

Corrinoids (such as the cobalamins and in particular vitamin B₁₂) and the porphyrins belong to a group of chemicals which are distinguished by a tetrapyrrole ring system. The biosynthesis of vitamin B₁₂ is so complex that it has not yet been completely characterized, but most of the enzymes and substrates involved are now known. Nicotinic acid (nicotinate) and nicotinamide are pyridine derivatives, which are also referred to as “niacin”. Niacin is the precursor of the important coenzymes NAD (nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide) and NADP (nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate) and their reduced forms.

The production of these compounds on the industrial scale is based for the most part on cell-free chemical syntheses, although some of these chemicals have likewise been produced by large-scale culturing of microorganisms, such as riboflavin, vitamin B₆, pantothenate and biotin. Only vitamin B₁₂ is produced solely by fermentation, because of the complexity of its synthesis. In vitro methods require a considerable expenditure of materials and time and frequently of high costs.

III. Purine, Pyrimidine, Nucleoside and Nucleotide Metabolism and Uses

Genes for purine and pyrimidine metabolism and their corresponding proteins are important targets for the therapy of neoplastic diseases and viral infections. The term “purine” or “pyrimidine” comprises nitrogenous bases which are a constituent of nucleic acids, coenzymes and nucleotides. The term “nucleotide” comprises the fundamental structural units of nucleic acid molecules, which include a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar (the sugar in RNA is ribose, and the sugar in DNA is D-deoxyribose) and phosphoric acid. The term “nucleoside” comprises molecules which serve as precursors of nucleotides but which, in contrast to nucleotides, have no phosphoric acid unit. It is possible by inhibiting the biosynthesis of these molecules or their mobilization for formation of nucleic acid molecules to inhibit RNA and DNA synthesis; targeted inhibition of this activity in carcinogenic cells allows the ability of tumor cells to divide and replicate to be inhibited.

There are also nucleotides which do not form nucleic acid molecules but serve as energy stores (i.e. AMP) or as coenzymes (i.e. FAD and NAD).

Several publications have described the use of these chemicals for these medical indications, where purine and/or pyrimidine metabolism is influenced (e.g. Christopherson, R. I. and Lyons, S. D. (1990) “Potent inhibitors of de novo pyrimidine and purine biosynthesis as chemotherapeutic agents”, Med. Res. Reviews 10: 505-548). Investigations on enzymes involved in purine and pyrimidine metabolism have concentrated on the development of novel medicaments which can be used for example as immunosuppressants or antiproliferatives (Smith, J. L. “Enzymes in Nucleotide Synthesis” Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 5 (1995) 752-757; Biochem. Soc. Transact. 23 (1995) 877-902). Purine and pyrimidine bases, nucleosides and nucleotides have, however, also other possible uses: as intermediates in the biosynthesis of various fine chemicals (e.g. thiamine, S-adenosylmethionine, folates or riboflavin), as energy carriers for the cell (e.g. ATP or GTP) and for chemicals themselves, are commonly used as flavor enhancers (e.g. IMP or GMP) or for many medical applications (see, for example, Kuninaka, A., (1996) “Nucleotides and Related Compounds” in Biotechnology, vol. 6, Rehm et al., editors VCH: Weinheim, pp. 561-612). Enzymes involved in purine, pyridine, nucleoside or nucleotide metabolism are also increasingly serving as targets for the development of chemicals for crop protection, including fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.

The metabolism of these compounds in bacteria has been characterized (for reviews, see, for example, Zalkin, H. and Dixon, J. E. (1992) “De novo purine nucleotide biosynthesis” in Progress in Nucleic Acids Research and Molecular Biology, vol. 42, Academic Press, pp. 259-287; and Michal, G. (1999) “Nucleotides and Nucleosides”; chapter 8 in: Biochemical Pathways: An Atlas of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wiley, New York). Purine metabolism, which is the subject of intensive research, is essential for normal functioning of the cell. Impaired purine metabolism in higher animals may cause severe disorders, e.g. gout. The purine nucleotides are synthesized over a number of steps via the intermediate compound inosine 5′-phosphate (IMP) from ribose 5-phosphate, leading to production of guanosine 5′-monophosphate (GMP) or adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP), from which the triphosphate forms, which are used as nucleotides, can easily be prepared. These compounds are also used as energy stores, so that their degradation provides energy for many different biochemical processes in the cell. Pyrimidine biosynthesis takes place via the formation of uridine 5′-monophosphate (UMP) from ribose 5-phosphate. UMP in turn is converted into cytidine 5′-triphosphate (CTP). The deoxy forms of all nucleotides are prepared in a one-step reduction reaction from the diphosphate ribose form of the nucleotide to give the diphosphate deoxyribose form of the nucleotide. After phosphorylation, these molecules are able to take part in DNA synthesis.

IV. Trehalose Metabolism and Uses

Trehalose consists of two glucose molecules which are linked together via an α,α-1,1 linkage. It is commonly used in the food industry as sweetener, as additive to dried or frozen foods and in beverages. However, it is also used in the pharmaceutical industry, the cosmetics and biotechnology industry (see, for example, Nishimoto et al., (1998) U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,610; Singer, M. A. and Lindquist, S. Trends Biotech. 16 (1998) 460-467; Paiva, C. L. A. and Panek, A. D. Biotech Ann. Rev. 2 (1996) 293-314; and Shiosaka, M. J. Japan 172 (1997) 97-102). Trehalose is produced by enzymes of many microorganisms and is released in a natural way into the surrounding medium, from which it can be isolated by methods known in the art.

Particularly preferred biosynthetic products are selected from the group of organic acids, proteins, nucleotides and nucleosides, both proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids, lipids and fatty acids, diols, carbohydrates, aromatic compounds, vitamins and cofactors, enzymes and proteins.

Preferred organic acids are tartaric acid, itaconic acid and diaminopimelic acid.

Preferred nucleosides and nucleotides are described for example in Kuninaka, A. (1996) Nucleotides and related compounds, pp. 561-612, in Biotechnology, vol. 6, Rehm et al., editors VCH: Weinheim and references present therein.

Preferred biosynthetic products are additionally lipids, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids such as, for example, arachidonic acid, diols such as, for example, propanediol and butanediol, carbohydrates such as, for example, hyaluronic acid and trehalose, aromatic compounds such as, for example, aromatic amines, vanillin and indigo, vitamins and cofactors as described for example in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, vol. A27, “Vitamins”, pp. 443-613 (1996) VCH: Weinheim and the references present therein; and Ong, A. S., Niki, E. and Packer, L. (1995) “Nutrition, Lipids, Health and Disease” Proceedings of the UNESCO/Confederation of Scientific and Technological Associations in Malaysia and the Society for Free Radical Research—Asia, held on Sep. 1-3, 1994 in Penang, Malaysia, AOCS Press (1995)), enzymes, polyketides (Cane et al. (1998) Science 282: 63-68) and all other chemicals described by Gutcho (1983) in Chemicals by Fermentation, Noyes Data Corporation, ISBN: 0818805086 and the references indicated therein.

Particularly preferred biosynthetic products are amino acids, particularly preferably essential amino acids, in particular L-glycine, L-alanine, L-leucine, L-methionine, L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan, L-lysine, L-glutamine, L-glutamic acid, L-serine, L-proline, L-valine, L-isoleucine, L-cysteine, L-tyrosine, L-histidine, L-arginine, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid and L-threonine, L-homoserine, especially L-lysine, L-methionine and L-threonine. An amino acid such as, for example, lysine, methionine and threonine means hereinafter both in each case the L and the D form of the amino acid, preferably the L form, i.e. for example L-lysine, L-methionine and L-threonine.

The invention relates in particular to a method for producing lysine by cultivating genetically modified microorganisms with increased or caused expression rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, where

ch) the specific expression activity in the microorganism of at least one endogenous expression unit of the invention, which regulates the expression of the endogenous genes, is increased compared with the wild type, or dh) the expression of genes in the microorganism is regulated by expression units of the invention or by expression units with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment ch), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the expression units, and where the genes are selected from the group of nucleic acids encoding an aspartate kinase, nucleic adds encoding an aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a diaminopimelate dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a diaminopimelate decarboxylase, nucleic acids encoding a dihydrodipicolinate synthetase, nucleic acids encoding a dihydrodipicolinate reductase, nucleic acids encoding a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, nucleic acids encoding a pyruvate carboxylase, nucleic acids encoding a triosephosphate isomerase, nucleic acids encoding a transcriptional regulator LuxR, nucleic acids encoding a transcriptional regulator LysR1, nucleic acids encoding a transcriptional regulator LysR2, nucleic acids encoding a malate-quinone oxidoreductase, nucleic acids encoding a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a transketolase, nucleic acids encoding a transaldolase, nucleic acids encoding a lysine exporter, nucleic acids encoding a biotin ligase, nucleic adds encoding an arginyl-tRNA synthetase, nucleic acids encoding a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, nucleic acids encoding a fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, nucleic acids encoding a protein OpcA, nucleic acids encoding a 1-phosphofructokinase and nucleic acids encoding a 6-phosphofructokinase.

As described above for the methods, the regulation of the expression of these genes in the microorganism by expression units of the invention or by expression units of the invention with increased specific expression activity in accordance with embodiment

ch) is achieved by dh1) introducing one or more expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, or dh2) introducing one or more of these genes into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, or dh3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising an expression unit of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

A further preferred embodiment of the method described above for preparing lysine comprises the genetically modified microorganisms, compared with the wild type, having additionally an increased activity, of at least one of the activities selected from the group of aspartate kinase activity, aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase activity, diaminopimelate dehydrogenase activity, diaminopimelate decarboxylase activity, dihydrodipicolinate synthetase activity, dihydrodipicolinate reductase activity, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, 3-phosphoglycerate kinase activity, pyruvate carboxylase activity, triosephosphate isomerase activity, activity of the transcriptional regulator LuxR, activity of the transcriptional regulator LysR1, activity of the transcriptional regulator LysR2, malate-quinone oxidoreductase activity, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activity, transketolase activity, transaldolase activity, lysine exporter activity, arginyl-tRNA synthetase activity, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity, protein OpcA activity, 1-phosphofructokinase activity, 6-phosphofructokinase activity and biotin ligase activity.

A further particularly preferred embodiment of the method described above for preparing lysine comprises the genetically modified microorganisms having, compared with the wild type, additionally a reduced activity, of at least one of the activities selected from the group of threonine dehydratase activity, homoserine O-acetyl-transferase activity, O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase activity, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity, pyruvate oxidase activity, homoserine kinase activity, homoserine dehydrogenase activity, threonine exporter activity, threonine efflux protein activity, asparaginase activity, aspartate decarboxylase activity and threonine synthase activity.

These additional increased or reduced activities of at least one of the activities described above may, but need not, be caused by a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity and/or an expression unit of the invention.

The invention further relates to a method for producing methionine by cultivating genetically modified microorganisms with increased or caused expression rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, where

ch) the specific expression activity in the microorganism of at least one endogenous expression unit of the invention, which regulates the expression of the endogenous genes, is increased compared with the wild type, or dh) the expression of genes in the microorganism is regulated by expression units of the invention or by expression units of the invention with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment ch), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the expression units, and where the genes are selected from the group of nucleic acids encoding an aspartate kinase, nucleic acids encoding an aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a homoserine dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, nucleic acids encoding a pyruvate carboxylase, nucleic acids encoding a triosephosphate isomerase, nucleic acids encoding a homoserine O-acetyltransferase, nucleic acids encoding a cystathionine gamma-synthase, nucleic acids encoding a cystathionine beta-lyase, nucleic acids encoding a serine hydroxymethyltransferase, nucleic acids encoding an O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase, nucleic acids encoding a methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, nucleic acids encoding a phosphoserine aminotransferase, nucleic acids encoding a phosphoserine phosphatase, nucleic acids encoding a serine acetyltransferase, nucleic acids encoding a cysteine synthase I activity, nucleic acids encoding a cysteine synthase II activity, nucleic acids encoding a coenzyme B12-dependent methionine synthase activity, nucleic acids encoding a coenzyme B12-independent methionine synthase activity, nucleic acids encoding a sulfate adenylyltransferase activity, nucleic acids encoding a phosphoadenosine phosphosulfate reductase activity, nucleic acids encoding a ferredoxin-sulfite reductase activity, nucleic acids encoding a ferredoxin NADPH-reductase activity, nucleic acids encoding a ferredoxin activity, nucleic acids encoding a protein of sulfate reduction RXA077, nucleic acids encoding a protein of sulfate reduction RXA248, nucleic acids encoding a protein of sulfate reduction RXA247, nucleic acids encoding an RXA0655 regulator and nucleic acids encoding an RXN2910 regulator.

As described above for the methods, the regulation of the expression of these genes in the microorganism by expression units of the invention or by expression units of the invention with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment ch) is achieved by

dh1) introducing one or more expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of these endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, or dh2) introducing one or more genes into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, or dh3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising an expression unit of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

A further preferred embodiment of the method described above for preparing methionine comprises the genetically modified microorganisms having, compared with the wild type, additionally an increased activity, of at least one of the activities selected from the group of aspartate kinase activity, aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase activity, homoserine dehydrogenase activity, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, 3-phosphoglycerate kinase activity, pyruvate carboxylase activity, triosephosphate isomerase activity, homoserine O-acetyltransferase activity, cystathionine gamma-synthase activity, cystathionine beta-lyase activity, serine hydroxymethyltransferase activity, O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase activity, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase activity, phosphoserine aminotransferase activity, phosphoserine phosphatase activity, serine acetyltransferase activity, cysteine synthase I activity, cysteine synthase II activity, coenzyme B12-dependent methionine synthase activity, coenzyme B12-independent methionine synthase activity, sulfate adenylyltransferase activity, phosphoadenosine-phosphosulfate reductase activity, ferredoxin-sulfite reductase activity, ferredoxin NADPH-reductase activity, ferredoxin activity, activity of a protein of sulfate reduction RXA077, activity of a protein of sulfate reduction RXA248, activity of a protein of sulfate reduction RXA247, activity of an RXA655 regulator and activity of an RXN2910 regulator.

A further particularly preferred embodiment of the method described above for preparing methionine comprises the genetically modified microorganisms having, compared with the wild type, additionally a reduced activity, of at least one of the activities selected from the group of homoserine kinase activity, threonine dehydratase activity, threonine synthase activity, meso-diaminopimelate D-dehydrogenase activity, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity, pyruvate oxidase activity, dihydrodipicolinate synthase activity, dihydrodipicolinate reductase activity and diaminopicolinate decarboxylase activity.

These additional increased or reduced activities of at least one of the activities described above may, but need not, be caused by a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity and/or an expression unit of the invention.

The invention further relates to a method for preparing threonine by cultivating genetically modified microorganisms with increased or caused expression rate of at least one gene compared with the wild type, where

ch) the specific expression activity in the microorganism of at least one endogenous expression unit of the invention, which regulates the expression of the endogenous genes, is increased compared with the wild type, or dh) the expression of genes in the microorganism is regulated by expression units of the invention or by expression units of the invention with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment ch), where the genes are heterologous in relation to the expression units, and where the genes are selected from the group of nucleic acids encoding an aspartate kinase, nucleic adds encoding an aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, nucleic acids encoding a pyruvate carboxylase, nucleic acids encoding a triosephosphate isomerase, nucleic acids encoding a homoserine kinase, nucleic acids encoding a threonine synthase, nucleic acids encoding a threonine exporter carrier, nucleic acids encoding a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a transaldolase, nucleic acids encoding a transketolase, nucleic acids encoding a malate-quinone oxidoreductase, nucleic acids encoding a 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding a lysine exporter, nucleic acids encoding a biotin ligase, nucleic adds encoding a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, nucleic acids encoding a threonine efflux protein, nucleic acids encoding a fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, nucleic acids encoding an OpcA protein, nucleic acids encoding a 1-phosphofructokinase, nucleic acids encoding a 6-phosphofructokinase, and nucleic acids encoding a homoserine dehydrogenase.

As described above for the methods, the regulation of the expression of these genes in the microorganism by expression units of the invention or by expression units of the invention with increased specific expression activity according to embodiment ch) is achieved by

dh1) introducing one or more expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of these endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, or dh2) introducing one or more of these genes into the genome of the microorganism so that expression of one or more of the introduced genes takes place under the control of the endogenous expression units of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, or dh3) introducing one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising an expression unit of the invention, if appropriate with increased specific expression activity, and functionally linked one or more nucleic acids to be expressed, into the microorganism.

A further preferred embodiment of the method described above for preparing threonine comprises the genetically modified microorganisms having, compared with the wild type, additionally an increased activity, of at least one of the activities selected from the group of aspartate kinase activity, aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase activity, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, 3-phosphoglycerate kinase activity, pyruvate carboxylase activity, triosephosphate isomerase activity, threonine synthase activity, activity of a threonine export carrier, transaldolase activity, transketolase activity, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, malate-quinone oxidoreductase activity, homoserine kinase activity, biotin ligase activity, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity, threonine efflux protein activity, protein OpcA activity, 1-phosphofructokinase activity, 6-phosphofructokinase activity, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and homoserine dehydrogenase activity.

A further particularly preferred embodiment of the method described above for preparing threonine comprises the genetically modified microorganisms having, compared with the wild type, additionally a reduced activity, of at least one of the activities selected from the group of threonine dehydratase activity, homoserine O-acetyltransferase activity, serine hydroxymethyltransferase activity, O-acetyl-homoserine sulfhydrylase activity, meso-diaminopimelate D-dehydrogenase activity, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity, pyruvate oxidase activity, dihydrodipicolinate synthetase activity, dihydrodipicolinate reductase activity, asparaginase activity, aspartate decarboxylase activity, lysine exporter activity, acetolactate synthase activity, ketol-acid reductoisomerase activity, branched chain aminotransferase activity, coenzyme B12-dependent methionine synthase activity, coenzyme B12-independent methionine synthase activity, dihydroxy-acid dehydratase activity and diaminopicolinate decarboxylase activity.

These additional increased or reduced activities of at least one of the activities described above may, but need not, be caused by a nucleic acid of the invention having promoter activity and/or an expression unit of the invention.

The term “activity” of a protein means in the case of enzymes the enzymic activity of the corresponding protein, and in the case of other proteins, for example structural or transport proteins, the physiological activity of the proteins

The enzymes are ordinarily able to convert a substrate into a product or catalyze this conversion step.

Accordingly, the “activity” of an enzyme means the quantity of substrate converted by the enzyme, or the quantity of product formed, in a particular time.

Thus, where an activity is increased compared with the wild type, the quantity of the substrate converted by the enzyme, or the quantity of product formed, in a particular time is increased compared with the wild type.

This increase in the “activity” preferably amounts, for all activities described hereinbefore and hereinafter, to at least 5%, further preferably at least 20%, further preferably at least 50%, further preferably at least 100%, more preferably at least 300%, even more preferably at least 500%, especially at least 600% of the “activity of the wild type”.

Thus, where an activity is reduced compared with the wild type, the quantity of substrate converted by the enzyme, or the quantity of product formed, in a particular time is reduced compared with the wild type.

A reduced activity preferably means the partial or substantially complete suppression or blocking, based on various cell biological mechanisms, of the functionality of this enzyme in a microorganism.

A reduction in the activity comprises a quantitative decrease in an enzyme as far as substantially complete absence of the enzyme (i.e. lack of detectability of the corresponding activity or lack of immunological detectability of the enzyme). The activity in the microorganism is preferably reduced, compared with the wild type, by at least 5%, further preferably by at least 20%, further preferably by at least 50%, further preferably by 100%. “Reduction” also means in particular the complete absence of the corresponding activity.

The activity of particular enzymes in genetically modified microorganisms and in the wild type, and thus the increase or reduction in the enzymic activity, can be measured by known methods such as, for example, enzyme assays.

For example, a pyruvate carboxylase means a protein which exhibits the enzymatic activity of converting pyruvate into oxaloacetate.

Correspondingly, a pyruvate carboxylase activity means the quantity of pyruvate converted by the pyruvate carboxlyase protein, or quantity of oxaloacetate formed, in a particular time.

Thus, where a pyruvate carboxylase activity is increased compared with the wild type, the quantity of pyruvate converted by the pyruvate carboxylase protein, or the quantity of oxaloacetate formed, in a particular time is increased compared with the wild type.

This increase in the pyruvate carboxylase activity is preferably at least 5%, further preferably at least 20%, further preferably at least 50%, further preferably at least 100%, more preferably at least 300%, even more preferably at least 500%, in particular at least 600%, of the pyruvate carboxylase activity of the wild type.

In addition, for example a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity means the enzymic activity of a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase.

A phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase means a protein which exhibits the enzymatic activity of converting oxaloacetate into phosphoenolpyruvate.

Correspondingly, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity means the quantity of oxaloacetate converted by the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase protein, or quantity of phosphoenolpyruvate formed, in a particular time.

When the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity is reduced compared with the wild type, therefore, the quantity of oxaloacetate converted by the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase protein, or the quantity of phosphoenolpyruvate formed, in a particular time, is reduced compared with the wild type.

A reduction in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity comprises a quantitative decrease in a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase as far as a substantially complete absence of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (i.e. lack of detectability of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity or lack of immunological detectability of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase). The phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity is preferably reduced, compared with the wild type, by at least 5%, further preferably by at least 20%, further preferably by at least 50%, further preferably by 100%. In particular, “reduction” also means the complete absence of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity.

The additional increasing of activities can take place in various ways, for example by switching off inhibitory regulatory mechanisms at the expression and protein level or by increasing gene expression of nucleic acids encoding the proteins described above compared with the wild type.

Increasing the gene expression of the nucleic acids encoding the proteins described above compared with the wild type can likewise take place in various ways, for example by inducing the gene by activators or, as described above, by increasing the promoter activity or increasing the expression activity or by introducing one or more gene copies into the microorganism.

Increasing the gene expression of a nucleic acid encoding a protein also means according to the invention manipulation of the expression of endogenous proteins intrinsic to the microorganism.

This can be achieved for example, as described above, by altering the promoter and/or expression unit sequences of the genes. Such an alteration, which results in an increased expression rate of the gene, can take place for example by deletion or insertion of DNA sequences.

It is possible, as described above, to alter the expression of endogenous proteins by applying exogenous stimuli. This can take place through particular physiological conditions, i.e. through the application of foreign substances.

The skilled worker may have recourse to further different procedures, singly or in combination, to achieve an increase in gene expression. Thus, for example, the copy number of the appropriate genes can be increased, or the promoter and regulatory region or the ribosome binding site located upstream of the structural gene can be mutated. It is additionally possible to increase the expression during fermentative production through inducible promoters. Procedures to prolong the lifespan of the mRNA likewise improve expression. Enzymic activity is likewise enhanced also by preventing degradation of enzyme protein. The genes or gene constructs may be either present in plasmids with varying copy number or integrated and amplified in the chromosome. It is also possible as an alternative to achieve overexpression of the relevant genes by altering the composition of the media and management of the culture.

The skilled worker can find guidance on this inter alia in Martin et al. (Biotechnology 5, 137-146 (1987)), in Guerrero et al. (Gene 138, 35-41 (1994)), Tsuchiya and Morinaga (Bio/Technology 6, 428-430 (1988)), in Eikmanns et al. (Gene 102, 93-98 (1991)), in European patent 0472869, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,893, in Schwarzer and Pühler (Biotechnology 9, 84-87 (1991), in Reinscheid et al. (Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60, 126-132 (1994), in LaBarre et al. (Journal of Bacteriology 175, 1001-1007 (1993)), in the patent application WO 96/15246, in Malumbres et al. (Gene 134, 15-24 (1993)), in the Japanese published specification JP-A-10-229891, in Jensen and Hammer (Biotechnology and Bioengineering 58, 191-195 (1998)), in Makrides (Microbiological Reviews 60: 512-538 (1996) and in well-known textbooks of genetics and molecular biology.

It may additionally be advantageous for the production of biosynthetic products, especially L-lysine, L-methionine and L-threonine, besides the expression or enhancement of a gene, to eliminate unwanted side reactions (Nakayama: “Breeding of Amino Acid Producing Microorganisms”, in: Overproduction of Microbial Products, Krumphanzl, Sikyta, Vanek (eds.), Academic Press, London, UK, 1982).

In a preferred embodiment, gene expression of a nucleic acid encoding one of the proteins described above is increased by introducing at least one nucleic acid encoding a corresponding protein into the microorganism. The introduction of the nucleic acid can take place chromosomally or extrachromosomally, i.e. through increasing the copy number on the chromosome and/or a copy of the gene on a plasmid which replicates in the host microorganism.

The introduction of the nucleic acid, for example in the form of an expression cassette comprising the nucleic add, preferably takes place chromosomally, in particular by the SacB method described above.

It is possible in principle to use for this purpose any gene which encodes one of the proteins described above.

In the case of genomic nucleic acid sequences from eukaryotic sources which comprise introns, if the host microorganism is unable or cannot be made able to express the corresponding proteins it is preferred to use nucleic acid sequences which have already been processed, such as the corresponding cDNAs.

Examples of the corresponding genes are listed in Table 1 and 2.

The activities described above in microorganisms are preferably reduced by at least one of the following methods:

-   -   introduction of at least one sense ribonucleic acid sequence for         inducing cosuppression or of an expression cassette ensuring         expression thereof     -   introduction of at least one DNA- or protein-binding factor         against the corresponding gene, RNA or protein or of an         expression cassette ensuring expression thereof     -   introduction of at least one viral nucleic acid sequence which         causes RNA degradation, or of an expression cassette ensuring         expression thereof     -   introduction of at least one construct to produce a loss of         function, such as, for example, generation of stop codons or a         shift in the reading frame, of a gene, for example by producing         an insertion, deletion, inversion or mutation in a gene. It is         possible and preferred to generate knockout mutants by targeted         insertion into the desired target gene through homologous         recombination or introduction of sequence-specific nucleases         against the target gene.     -   introduction of a promoter with reduced promoter activity or of         an expression unit with reduced expression activity.

The skilled worker is aware that further methods can also be employed within the scope of the present invention for reducing its activity or function. For example, the introduction of a dominant negative variant of a protein or of an expression cassette ensuring expression thereof may also be advantageous.

It is moreover possible for each single one of these methods to bring about a reduction in the quantity of protein, quantity of mRNA and/or activity of a protein. A combined use is also conceivable. Further methods are known to the skilled worker and may comprise impeding or suppressing the processing of the protein, of the transport of the protein or its mRNA, inhibition of ribosome attachment, inhibition of RNA splicing, induction of an RNA-degrading enzyme and/or inhibition of translation elongation or termination.

In the method of the invention for producing biosynthetic products, the step of cultivation of the genetically modified microorganisms is preferably followed by an isolation of biosynthetic products from the microorganisms or/or from the fermentation broth. These steps may take place at the same time and/or preferably after the cultivation step.

The genetically modified microorganisms of the invention can be cultivated to produce biosynthetic products, in particular L-lysine, L-methionine and L-threonine, continuously or discontinuously in a batch method (batch cultivation) or in the fed batch or repeated fed batch method. A summary of known cultivation methods is to be found in the textbook by Chmiel (Bioprozeβtechnik 1. Einführung in die Bioverfahrenstechnik (Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, 1991)) or in the textbook by Storhas (Bioreaktoren and periphere Einrichtungen (Vieweg Verlag, Brunswick/Wiesbaden, 1994)).

The culture medium to be used must satisfy in a suitable manner the demands of the respective strains. There are descriptions of culture media for various microorganisms in the handbook “Manual of Methods for General Bacteriology” of the American Society for Bacteriology (Washington D.C., USA, 1981).

These media which can be employed according to the invention usually comprise one or more carbon sources, nitrogen sources, inorganic salts, vitamins and/or trace elements.

Preferred carbon sources are sugars such as mono-, di- or polysaccharides. Examples of very good carbon sources are glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose, ribose, sorbose, ribulose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, raffinose, starch or cellulose. Sugars can be put in the media also via complex compounds such as molasses, or other by-products of sugar refining. It may also be advantageous to add mixtures of various carbon sources. Other possible carbon sources are oils and fats such as, for example, soybean oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil and coconut fat, fatty acids such as, for example, palmitic acid, stearic acid or linoleic acid, alcohols such as, for example, glycerol, methanol or ethanol and organic acids such as, for example, acetic acid or lactic acid.

Nitrogen sources are usually organic or inorganic nitrogen compounds or materials comprising these compounds. Examples of nitrogen sources include ammonia gas or ammonium salts such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, ammonium phosphate, ammonium carbonate or ammonium nitrate, nitrates, urea, amino acids or complex nitrogen sources such as corn steep liquor, soybean flour, soybean protein, yeast extract, meat extract and others. The nitrogen sources may be used singly or as mixtures.

Inorganic salt compounds which may be present in the media comprise the chloride, phosphoric or sulfate salts of calcium, magnesium, sodium, cobalt, molybdenum, potassium, manganese, zinc, copper and iron.

For producing fine chemicals, especially methionine, it is possible to use as sulfur source inorganic compounds such as, for example, sulfates, sulfites, dithionites, tetrathionates, thiosulfates, sulfides, but also organic sulfur compounds such as mercaptans and thiols.

It is possible to use as phosphorus source phosphoric acid, potassium dihydrogenphosphate or dipotassium hydrogenphosphate or the corresponding sodium-containing salts.

Chelating agents can be added to the medium in order to keep the metal ions in solution. Particularly suitable chelating agents comprise dihydroxyphenols such as catechol or protocatechuate, or organic acids such as citric acid.

The fermentation media employed according to the invention normally also comprise other growth factors such as vitamins or growth promoters, which include for example biotin, riboflavin, thiamine, folic acid, nicotinic acid, pantothenate and pyridoxine. Growth factors and salts are frequently derived from complex components of the media, such as yeast extract, molasses, corn steep liquor and the like. Suitable precursors may also be added to the culture medium. The exact composition of the compounds in the media depends greatly on the particular experiment and will be decided individually for each specific case. Information on optimization of media is obtainable from the textbook “Applied Microbiol. Physiology, A Practical Approach” (editors P. M. Rhodes, P. F. Stanbury, IRL Press (1997) pp. 53-73, ISBN 0 19 963577 3). Growth media can also be purchased from commercial suppliers, such as Standard 1 (Merck) or BHI (Brain heart infusion, DIFCO) and the like.

All the components of the media are sterilized either by heat (20 min at 1.5 bar and 121° C.) or by sterilizing filtration. The components can be sterilized either together or, if necessary, separately. All the components of the media may be present at the start of culturing or optionally be added continuously or batchwise.

The temperature of the culture is normally between 15° C. and 45° C., preferably at 25° C. to 40° C. and can be kept constant or changed during the experiment. The pH of the medium should be in the range from 5 to 8.5, preferably around 7.0. The pH for the culturing can be controlled during the culturing by adding basic compounds such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonia or aqueous ammonia or acidic compounds such as phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid. The development of foam can be controlled by employing antifoams such as, for example, fatty acid polyglycol esters. The stability of plasmids can be maintained by adding to the medium suitable substances with a selective action, such as, for example, antibiotics. Aerobic conditions are maintained by introducing oxygen or oxygen-containing gas mixtures such as, for example, ambient air into the culture. The temperature of the culture is normally 20° C. to 45° C. The culture is continued until formation of the desired product is at a maximum. This aim is normally reached within 10 hours to 160 hours.

The dry matter content of the fermentation broths obtained in this way is normally from 7.5 to 25% by weight.

It is additionally advantageous also to run the fermentation with sugar limitation at least at the end, but in particular over at least 30% of the fermentation time. This means that the concentration of utilizable sugar in the fermentation medium is kept at 0 to 3 g/l, or is reduced, during this time.

Biosynthetic products are isolated from the fermentation broth and/or the microorganisms in a manner known per se in accordance with the physical/chemical properties of the required biosynthetic product and the biosynthetic by-products.

The fermentation broth can then be processed further for example. Depending on the requirement, the biomass can be removed wholly or partly from the fermentation broth by separation methods such as, for example, centrifugation, filtration, decantation or a combination of these methods, or left completely in it.

The fermentation broth can then be concentrated by known methods such as, for example, with the aid of a rotary evaporator, thin-film evaporator, falling-film evaporator, by reverse osmosis or by nanofiltration. This concentrated fermentation broth can then be worked up by freeze drying, spray drying, spray granulation or by other methods.

However, it is also possible to purify the biosynthetic products, especially L-lysine, L-methionine and L-threonine, further. For this purpose, the product-containing broth is subjected, after removal of the biomass, to a chromatography using a suitable resin, with the desired product or the impurities being retained wholly or partly on the chromatography resin. These chromatographic steps can be repeated if required, using the same or different chromatography resins. The skilled worker is proficient in the selection of suitable chromatography resins and their most effective use. The purified product can be concentrated by filtration or ultrafiltration and be stored at a temperature at which the stability of the product is a maximum.

The biosynthetic products may result in various forms, for example in the form of their salts or esters.

The identity and purity of the isolated compound(s) can be determined by prior art techniques. These comprise high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), spectroscopic methods, staining methods, thin-layer chromatography, NIRS, enzyme assay or microbiological assays. These analytical methods are summarized in: Patek et al. (1994) Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60:133-140; Malakhova et al. (1996) Biotekhnologiya 11 27-32; and Schmidt et al. (1998) Bioprocess Engineer. 19:67-70. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (1996) vol. A27, VCH: Weinheim, pp. 89-90, pp. 521-540, pp. 540-547, pp. 559-566, 575-581 and pp. 581-587; Michal, G (1999) Biochemical Pathways: An Atlas of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, John Wiley and Sons; Fallon, A. et al. (1987) Applications of HPLC in Biochemistry in: Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, vol. 17.

The invention is now described in more detail by means of the following nonlimiting examples:

EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of the Vector pCLiK5MCS

Firstly, the ampicillin resistance and origin of replication of the vector pBR322 were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the oligonucleotide primers SEQ ID NO: 5 and SEQ ID NO: 6.

SEQ ID NO 5: 5′-CCCGGGATCCGCTAGCGGCGCGCCGGCCGGCCCGGTGTGAAATACC GCACAG-3′ SEQ ID NO 6: 5′-TCTAGACTCGAGCGGCCGCGGCCGGCCTTTAAATTGAAGACGAAAG GGCCTCG-3′

Besides the sequences complementary to pBR322, the oligonucleotide primer SEQ ID NO: 5 comprises in the 5′-3′ direction the cleavage sites for the restriction endonucleases SmaI, BamHI, NheI and AscI and the oligonucleotide primer SEQ ID NO: 6 comprises in the 5′-3′ direction the cleavage sites for the restriction endonucleases XbaI, XhoI, NotI and DraI. The PCR reaction was carried out with Pfu Turbo polymerase (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by a standard method such as Innis et al. (PCR Protocols. A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press (1990)). The resulting DNA fragment with a size of approximately 2.1 kb was purified using the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The blunt ends of the DNA fragment were ligated together using the Rapid DNA Ligation Kit (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and the ligation mixture was transformed into competent E. coli XL-1 Blue (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by standard methods as described in Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning. A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor (1989)). Plasmid-harboring cells were selected by plating out on LB agar (Lennox, 1955, Virology, 1:190) containing ampicillin (50 μg/ml).

The plasmid DNA of an individual clone was isolated using the Qiaprep Spin Miniprep Kit (Qiagen, Hilden) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and checked by restriction digestions. The plasmid obtained in this way is called pCLiK1.

Starting from the plasmid pWLT1 (Liebl et al., 1992) as template for a PCR reaction, a kanamycin resistance cassette was amplified using the oligonucleotide primers SEQ ID NO: 7 and SEQ ID NO: 8.

SEQ ID NO: 7: 5′-GAGATCTAGACCCGGGGATCCGCTAGCGGGCTGCTAAAGGAAGCG GA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 8 5′-GAGAGGCGCGCCGCTAGCGTGGGCGAAGAACTCCAGCA-3′

Besides the sequences complementary to pWLT1, the oligonucleotide primer SEQ ID NO: 7 comprises in the 5′-3′ direction the cleavage sites for the restriction endonucleases XbaI, SmaI, BamHI, NheI and the oligonucleotide primer SEQ ID NO: 8 contains in the 5′-3′ direction the cleavage sites for the restriction endonucleases AscI and NheI. The PCR reaction was carried out with Pfu Turbo polymerase (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by standard methods such as Innis et al. (PCR Protocols. A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press (1990)). The resulting DNA fragment with a size of approximately 1.3 kb was purified using the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. The DNA fragment was cut with the restriction endonucleases XbaI and AscI (New England Biolabs, Beverly, USA) and subsequently again purified using the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. The vector pCLiK1 was likewise cut with the restriction endonucleases XbaI and AscI and dephosphorylated with alkaline phosphatase (I (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim)) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. After electrophoresis in a 0.8% agarose gel, the linearized vector (approx. 2.1 kb) was isolated using the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. This vector fragment was ligated with the cut PCR fragment using the Rapid DNA Ligation Kit (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, and the ligation mixture was transformed into competent E. coli XL-1 Blue (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by standard methods as described in Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning. A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, (1989)). Plasmid-harboring cells were selected by plating out on LB agar (Lennox, 1955, Virology, 1:190) containing ampicillin (50 μg/ml) and kanamycin (20 μg/ml).

The plasmid DNA of an individual clone was isolated using the Qiaprep Spin Miniprep Kit (Qiagen, Hilden) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and checked by restriction digestions. The plasmid obtained in this way is called pCLiK2.

The vector pCLiK2 was cut with the restriction endonuclease DraI (New England Biolabs, Beverly, USA). After electrophoresis in a 0.8% agarose gel, a vector fragment approx. 2.3 kb in size was isolated using the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. This vector fragment was religated using the Rapid DNA Ligation Kit (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, and the ligation mixture was transformed into competent E. coli XL-1 Blue (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by standard methods as described in Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning. A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, (1989)). Plasmid-harboring cells were selected by plating out on LB agar (Lennox, 1955, Virology, 1:190) containing kanamycin (20 μg/ml).

The plasmid DNA of an individual clone was isolated using the Qiaprep Spin Miniprep Kit (Qiagen, Hilden) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and checked by restriction digestions. The plasmid obtained in this way is called pCLiK3.

Starting from the plasmid pWLQ2 (Liebl et al., 1992) as template for a PCR reaction, the origin of replication pHM1519 was amplified using the oligonucleotide primers SEQ ID NO: 9 and SEQ ID NO: 10.

SEQ ID NO: 9: 5′-GAGAGGGCGGCCGCGCAAAGTCCCGCTTCGTGAA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 10: 5′-GAGAGGGCGGCCGCTCAAGTCGGTCAAGCCACGC-3′

Besides the sequences complementary to pWLQ2, the oligonucleotide primers SEQ ID NO: 9 and SEQ ID NO: 10 comprise cleavage sites for the restriction endonuclease NotI. The PCR reaction was carried out with Pfu Turbo polymerase (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by a standard method such as Innis et al. (PCR Protocols. A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press (1990)). The resulting DNA fragment with a size of approximately 2.7 kb was purified using the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. The DNA fragment was cut with the restriction endonuclease NotI (New England Biolabs, Beverly, USA) and then purified again with the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. The vector pCLiK3 was likewise cut with the restriction endonuclease NotI and dephosphorylated with alkaline phosphatase (I (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim)) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. After electrophoresis in a 0.8% agarose gel, the linearized vector (approx. 2.3 kb) was isolated with the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. This vector fragment was ligated with the cut PCR fragment using the Rapid DNA Ligation Kit (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, and the ligation mixture was transformed into competent E. coli XL-1 Blue (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by standard methods as described in Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning. A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, (1989)). Plasmid-harboring cells were selected by plating out on LB agar (Lennox, 1955, Virology, 1:190) containing kanamycin (20 μg/ml).

The plasmid DNA of an individual clone was isolated using the Qiaprep Spin Miniprep Kit (Qiagen, Hilden) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and checked by restriction digestions. The plasmid obtained in this way is called pCLiK5.

To extend pCLiK5 by a multiple cloning site (MCS), the two synthetic, very substantially complementary oligonucleotides SEQ ID NO: 11 and SEQ ID NO: 12, which comprise cleavage sites for the restriction endonucleases SwaI, XhoI, AatI, ApaI, Asp718, MluI, NdeI, SpeI, EcoRV, SalI, ClaI, BamHI, XbaI and SmaI, were combined by heating together at 95° C. and slow cooling to give a double-stranded DNA fragment.

SEQ ID NO: 11: 5′-TCGAATTTAAATCTCGAGAGGCCTGACGTCGGGCCCGGTACCACGC GTCATATGACTAGTTCGGACCTAGGGATATCGTCGACATCGATGCTCTT CTGCGTTAATTAACAATTGGGATCCTCTAGACCCGGGATTTAAAT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 12: 5′-GATCATTTAAATCCCGGGTCTAGAGGATCCCAATTGTTAATTAACGC AGAAGAGCATCGATGTCGACGATATCCCTAGGTCCGAACTAGTCATATGA CGCGTGGTACCGGGCCCGACGTCAGGCCTCTCGAGATTTAAAT-3′

The vector pCLiK5 was cut with the restriction endonucleases XhoI and BamHI (New England Biolabs, Beverly, USA) and dephosphorylated with alkaline phosphatase (I (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim)) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. After electrophoresis in a 0.8% agarose gel, the linearized vector (approx. 5.0 kb) was isolated with the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. This vector fragment was ligated to the synthetic double-stranded DNA fragment using the Rapid DNA Ligation Kit (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, and the ligation mixture was transformed into competent E. coli XL-1 Blue (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by standard methods as described in Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning. A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, (1989)). Plasmid-harboring cells were selected by plating out on LB agar (Lennox, 1955, Virology, 1:190) containing kanamycin (20 μg/ml).

The plasmid DNA of an individual clone was isolated using the Qiaprep Spin Miniprep Kit (Qiagen, Hilden) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and checked by restriction digestions. The plasmid obtained in this way is called pCLiK5MCS.

Sequencing reactions were carried out as described by Sanger et al. (1977) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 74:5463-5467. The sequencing reactions were fractionated and evaluated using an ABI prism 377 (PE Applied Biosystems, Weiterstadt).

The resulting plasmid pCLiK5MCS is listed as SEQ ID NO: 13.

EXAMPLE 2 Preparation of the Plasmid P EF-TS MetA

Chromosomal DNA from C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 was prepared as described by Tauch et al. (1995) Plasmid 33:168-179 or Eikmanns et al. (1994) Microbiology 140:1817-1828. The metA gene which codes for homoserine O-acetyltransferase, was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by standard methods as described in Innis et al. (1990) PCR Protocols. A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press, using the oligonucleotide primers BK 1849 SEQ ID NO: 14 and BK 1862 SEQ ID NO: 15 33, the chromosomal DNA as template and Pfu Turbo polymerase (from Stratagene).

BK 1849 SEQ ID NO 14 5′-gtgtgtcgacttagatgtagaactcgatgtag-3′ and BK 1862 SEQ ID NO 15 5′-atgcccaccctcgcgcc-3′

The resulting DNA fragment with a size of approx. 1134 bp was purified using the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.

The expression unit of the gene (SEQ ID NO 2), which codes for the elongation factor TS, was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by standard methods as described in Innis et al. (1990) PCR Protocols. A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press, using the oligonucleotide primers Haf 26 SEQ ID NO 16 and Haf 27 SEQ ID NO 17, the chromosomal DNA as template and Pfu Turbo polymerase (from Stratagene).

Haf 26  SEQ ID NO 16 5′-gagaggatcccccccacgacaatggaac-3′ and Haf 27  SEQ ID NO 17 5′-cctgaaggcgcgagggtgggcattacggggcgatcctccttatg-3′

The resulting DNA fragment with a size of approx. 195 bp was purified using the GFX™PCR, DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Pharmacia, Freiburg) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

The primers Haf 27 and BK 1862 comprise an overlapping sequence and are homologous to one another at their 5′ ends.

The PCR products obtained above were employed as templates for a further PCR in which the primers BK 1849 (SEQ. ID. NO. 14) and Haf 26 (SEQ. ID. NO. 16) were employed.

Using this approach, it was possible to amplify a DNA fragment which corresponded to the expected size of 1329 bp. This P EF-TS/metA fusion was then cloned into the vector pClik 5a MCS (SEQ. ID. NO. 13) by the restriction cleavage sites BamHI and SalI.

The vector fragment was ligated together with the PCR fragment using the Rapid DNA Ligation Kit (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim) in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, and the ligation mixture was transformed into competent E. coli XL-1 Blue (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) by standard methods as described in Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning. A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, (1989)). Plasmid-harboring cells were selected by plating out on LB agar (Lennox, 1955, Virology, 1:190) containing kanamycin (20 μg/ml).

The plasmid DNA was prepared by methods and using materials from Qiagen. Sequencing reactions were carried out as described by Sanger et al. (1977) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 74:5463-5467. The sequencing reactions were fractionated and evaluated using an ABI prism 377 (PE Applied Biosystems, Weiterstadt).

The resulting plasmid was named pClik 5a MCS P EF-TS metA (SEQ. ID. NO. 18).

EXAMPLE 3 MetA Activities

The strain Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032 was transformed with each of the plasmids pClik5 MCS, pClik MCS EF-TS metA by the method described (Liebl, et al. (1989) FEMS Microbiology Letters 53:299-303). The transformation mixture was plated on CM plates which additionally comprised 20 mg/l kanamycin in order to select for plasmid-containing cells. Resulting Kan-resistant clones were picked and isolated.

C. glutamicum strains which comprised one of these plasmid constructs were cultured in MMA medium (40 g/l sucrose, 20 g/l (NH₄)₂SO₄, 1 g/l KH₂PO₄, 1 g/l K₂HPO₄, 0.25 g/l MgSO₄×7H₂O, 54 g Aces, 1 ml CaCl₂ (10 g/l), 1 ml protocatechuate (300 ring/10 ml), 1 ml trace element solution (10 g/l FeSO₄×7H₂O, 10 g/l MnSO₄×H₂O, 2 g/l ZnSO₄×7H₂O, 0.2 g/l CuSO₄, 0.02 g/l NiCl₂×6H₂O), 100 μg/I vitamin B₁₂, 0.3 mg/l thiamine, 1 mM leucine, 1 mg/l pyridoxal HCl, 1 ml biotin (100 mg/l), pH 7.0) at 30° C. overnight. The cells were spun down at 4° C. and then washed twice with cold Tris-HCl buffer (0.1%, pH 8.0). After renewed centrifugation, the cells were taken up in cold Tris-HCl buffer (0.1%, pH 8.0) and adjusted to an OD₆₀₀ of 160. For cell disruption, 1 ml of this cell suspension was transferred into 2 ml Ribolyser tubes from Hybaid and lysed in a Ribolyser from Hybaid with a rotation setting of 6.0 three times for 30 sec each time. The lysate was clarified by centrifugation at 15 000 rpm and 4° C. in an Eppendorf centrifuge for 30 minutes, and the supernatant was transferred into a new Eppendorf cup. The protein content was determined as described by Bradford, M. M. (1976) Anal. Biochem. 72:248-254.

The enzymatic activity of metA was measured as follows. The 1 ml reaction mixtures comprised 100 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.5), 5 mM MgCl₂, 100 μM acetyl-CoA, 5 mM L-homoserine, 500 μM DTNB (Ellman's reagent) and cell extract. The assay was started by adding the respective protein lysate and incubated at room temperature. Kinetics were then recorded at 412 nm for 10 min.

The results are shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Specific activity Strain [nmol/mg/min] ATCC 13032 pClik5MCS 12.6 ATCC 13032 pClik5MCS P EF-TS metA 2339.1

It was possible to increase MetA activity considerably by using the heterologous expression unit P_(EF-TS). 

We claim:
 1. A genetically modified microorganism, where the microorganism comprises a nucleic acid having promoter activity which regulates transcription of a gene in the microorganism, where the gene is heterologous in relation to the nucleic acid having promoter activity, where the nucleic acid having promoter activity comprises a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof having promoter activity; b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity to the entire nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; or c) a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes with the complement of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 under stringent conditions; and where the genetic modification leads to an alteration of the transcription rate or causes the transcription of at least one gene compared with the wild type.
 2. The genetically modified microorganism of claim 1, wherein one or more of the nucleic acids having promoter activity is introducing into the microorganism.
 3. The genetically modified microorganism of claim 2, where the one or more of the nucleic acids having promoter activity is introduced into the genome of the microorganism so that transcription of one or more endogenous genes takes place under the control of the introduced nucleic acid having promoter activity.
 4. The genetically modified microorganism of claim 3, wherein the transcription of the one or more genes by the nucleic acid having promoter activity results in an increased transcription rate or causes the transcription of one or more genes in the microorganism compared with the corresponding wild type.
 5. The genetically modified microorganisms of claim 4, wherein the microorganism has an increased transcription rate of at least one of the one or more genes compared with the corresponding wild type.
 6. The genetically modified microorganism of claim 2, wherein the one or more nucleic acids having promoter activity is introduced in a construct comprising the nucleic acid having promoter activity functionally linked to one or more genes to be transcribed into the microorganism.
 7. The genetically modified microorganism of claim 6, wherein transcription of the one or more genes results in an increased transcription rate or causes the transcription of the one or more genes in the microorganism compared with the corresponding wild type.
 8. The genetically modified microorganisms of claim 7, wherein the microorganism has an increased transcription rate of at least one of the one or more genes compared with the corresponding wild type.
 9. The genetically modified microorganism of claim 1, wherein the gene is selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of nucleotides and nucleosides, nucleic acid encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of organic acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of lipids and fatty acids, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of diols, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of carbohydrates, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of aromatic compounds, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of vitamins, nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of cofactors, and nucleic acids encoding a protein from the biosynthetic pathway of enzymes, where the gene may comprise further regulatory elements.
 10. The genetically modified microorganism of claim 9, wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of aspartate kinase, aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, diaminopimelate dehydrogenase, diaminopimelate decarboxylase, dihydrodipicolinate synthetase, dihydrodipicolinate reductase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, pyruvate carboxylase, triosephosphate isomerase, transcriptional regulator LuxR, transcriptional regulator LysR1, transcriptional regulator LysR2, malate-quinone oxidoreductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, transketolase, transaldolase, homoserine O-acetyltransferase, cystathionine gamma-synthase, cystathionine beta-lyase, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, phosphoserine aminotransferase, phosphoserine phosphatase, serine acetyltransferase, homoserine dehydrogenase, homoserine kinase, threonine synthase, threonine exporter carrier, threonine dehydratase, pyruvate oxidase, lysine exporter, biotin ligase, cysteine synthase I, cysteine synthase II, coenzyme B12-dependent methionine synthase, coenzyme B12-independent methionine synthase, sulfate adenylyltransferase subunit 1 and 2, phosphoadenosine-phosphosulfate reductase, ferredoxin-sulfite reductase, ferredoxin NADP reductase, 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, RXA00655 regulator, RXN2910 regulator, arginyl-tRNA synthetase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, threonine efflux protein, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, protein of sulfate reduction RXA077, protein of sulfate reduction RXA248, protein of sulfate reduction RXA247, protein OpcA, 1-phosphofructokinase, and 6-phosphofructokinase.
 11. A method for producing the microorganism of claim 1, comprising introducing one or more nucleic acids having promoter activity into a microorganism, wherein the nucleic acid having promoter activity comprises a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof having promoter activity; b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity to the entire nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; or c) a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes with the complement of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 under stringent conditions.
 12. A method for altering the transcription rate or causing the transcription of a gene in a microorganism compared with the corresponding wild type comprising regulating transcription of a gene by cultivating the genetically modified microorganism of claim
 1. 